English

[1] In the Name of Allah, Al-Rahman (Beneficent) and Al-Rahim (Merciful)

[2] Hearts surge forth and answer thanks to Allah, Creator of the universe, for whom all His glorious attributes are extolled and praised

[3] Al-Rahman, AL-Rahim

[4] Malik Yawm al-Din (The Absolute Soveriegn Who has sole authority over of Day of Judgement)

[5] It is You and You alone Whom we worship, it is You and You alone Whom we invoke for guidance and help

[6] Guide us, O Allah, to the path of righteousness

[7] The path where those You guided were covered and protected by Your gracious wing, not the path of those who came within the measure of Your wrath, nor the path of those lost in a maze

[1] (Alef) L. (Lam) M. (Meem). The Surah opens with letters from the Arabic alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran, though written in the people's tongue cannot be emulated

[2] This Book -the Quran- in which Providence is the Guide, occasions no, doubt and represents the spirit of truth guiding into all truth; it guides those: who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[3] Who are strongly disposed to realise the unseen, especially Allah, Who is exposed only to mental view, perceived only by the mind, Who recognise His spiritual beings, His attendants and His messengers, and they sense with prudence the Hereafter, Who duly engage in worship and spend in benevolence and benefaction of the provisions of life We provisioned them

[4] Who faithfully believe in all that has been revealed to you, O Muhammad, -the Quran- way of life, religious and spiritual virtues and all that has been enjoined, crediting all revelations to those sent before you in Al-Tawrah (the Torah) and Al-Injil (the Bible) and the like, affirming the certainty of the Hereafter

[5] Their hearts have been touched with the divine hand, they have Providence as their guide, and it is they who will prosper

[6] As to those who deny Allah, not lifting to Him their inward sight, it is all the same to them whether you warn them O Muhammad of menacing danger and misfortune or not

[7] Allah has closed their hearts’ ears and denied them intellectual sense of hearing, and their minds' eyes grow dim as if covered with a film; they are disposed to denseness of intellect and shall suffer a fitting punishment

[8] Among people are those who pretend to believe in Allah, give credence to His Omnipotence and Authority and acknowledge the truth of the Hereafter while in fact they hug their old irreverent conviction to their hearts

[9] They apply their minds to deceiving Allah, AL-'Alim (the Omniscient), Who knows what is secretly suggested to the mind, and to deceive those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, when in fact, they only deceive themselves, failing to perceive

[10] Their ill-natured hearts reflect the morbidity inherent in their innermost being, and consequently did Allah make their seats of intellect melt away in disease and lassitude that they addicted themselves to vice, and there awaits them a fitting punishment for their intentional assertion of what is false

[11] And when told to stop making mischief on earth nor create discord, they say: "But we only try to bring people to abandon the wrong course of life and conduct and adopt the right one till the new principle governs their thoughts

[12] Indeed, the reform they claim is nothing but a euphemism for ruin, they are composed more of mischief than ill-will, but they fail to perceive

[13] And when told to conform their will to Allah’s will and to recognise Him, believe in Him and give credence to His Omnipotence and Authority as other people have conformed to His will, they say: "Shall we demean ourselves like the simpletons did and follow the same course they followed?" Indeed, they are the fools who said in their hearts, "There is no god," but they are ignorant and unknowing of the truth

[14] And when they are face to face with those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues they declare that they have conformed their will to Allah’s will, and when they are apart with their satanic confederates who delight in satanic wickedness, they assure them of their confederacy and that they confederate in their design but they were only laughing at the believers with an outward contempt of what they esteemed sacred

[15] Allah gives them plenty of rope to allow them free scope and action in order to commit themselves to the loss in a maze of error

[16] These are they who have been steered by false belief and exchanged the guidance of Providence to the path of righteousness for a perplexed path in a maze of error, and in consequence their embarking in bad business and their captivation in evil trade have caused them the loss of their souls, they were captive victors who lost in gain, nor could they hit the path of righteousness

[17] Their example stands similitude exact of someone who has kindled a fire togive light to a body of companions and when the surroundings glowed with light, Allah extinguished their fire and their alacrity and quenched their light and cut them off illumination and enlightenment and left them in want of physical, spiritual and intellectual sight

[18] Deaf and dumb, insensible to light, they are unable to retrace their steps that lead them into error

[19] Their example stands similitude exact of a people who are overshadowed with dark thunder cloud floating in the floor of the vault of heaven and sends forth thunder and lightning, terrifying and startling, and they think that by plugging their ears with their finger tips to make them impervious to sound they would avert death, but Allah besets and bounds those who deny Him on all sides

[20] Lightning very nearly snatches their sense of sight; as often as it emits for them gleams they proceed under its light and when it darkens, their eyes shrivel into darkness in their heads and they stand dead; and had Allah willed He would have deprived them of their sense of hearing and that of sight, faculties divine; He is indeed Qadirun (Omnipotent) to effect all things

[21] O you people worship Allah, your Creator, and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; it is He Who brought you into being and caused you and caused all those who preceded you to exist. This may help you lift to Him your inward sight and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[22] It is He Who set for you the earth at creation in the order of a settled habitation where you establish your abode* and made the heaven with its regions, spheres, celestial bodies and realms of space a construction of imposing magnitude and He sent down from the floor of the vault of heaven rain water and with it He caused the various products to spring from the soil**, products fit to be used as food for human sustenance. Therefore, employ your faculty of reason in forming conclusions and reason high of Providence and do not equal with Him deities haunting your imagination when the instinctive perception of the truth is natural to you

[23] And if this state of affairs is giving you occasion to uncertainty and you are in doubt about the truth and authenticity of the Quran We have been revealing in sequence to Our servant the Messenger Muhammad then produce a Surah the like thereof and call on all those besides Allah who can bear witness to its inimitable nature if you are declaring the truth

[24] If such an undertaking you fail to fulfil, and fail, you undoubtedly will, then save yourselves the fire whose fuel shall be people and stones; the stones sculptured and statued as false gods; the fire which has been especially prepared for those who deny Allah

[25] Meanwhile, announces O Muhammad, blissful tidings to those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues and there deeds wisdom and pious: that they shall be welcomed into gardens of bliss and surpassing beauty beneath which rivers flow. As often as they are offered any kind of the fruit therein, they express their thoughts in words: "But this is what we had before in life for our livelihood." In effect, they are offered what bears a marked resemblance to what they had in life, but not of a like nature; it has the power to excite relish and ecstatic delight unexperienced before. And therein shall they be accompanied by mates of their design: pure, chaste and holy fellows of their piety and therein they will have passed through nature to Eternity

[26] Allah is by no means reluctant from fear of shame to give an allegory applying creatures as small as a gnat or a larger creature to describe subjects under the guise of some other subject of aptly suggestive resemblance intended to convey a useful lesson by which moral and spiritual relations are typically set forth. As to those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, they know well that the simile narrated by Allah, their Creator, is the truth personified as it illustrates and ennobles the subject. But those who deny Allah wonder to hear Allah talk after this manner and they say: "What does Allah mean by such a parable?" In effect, such parables as Allah discourses are intended to stray the many who counsel deaf to the truth and to guide the many who have clean hearts to the path of righteousness and He misguides only the wicked who confirm themselves in the evil purpose and the ill intention

[27] The wicked who do not fulfill their covenant with Allah after they have solemnly vowed to Him to do what has been enjoined, who disjoin humanity and policy instead of being joined together and separate the two hands that join one another in fidelity, and who disjoin all that Allah has ordained be joined together, and make mischief on earth and create discord, these are they who were born to be great losers

[28] How could you people deny Allah when you were inanimate and He brought you into being from nothingness and caused you to exist, then He shall deprive you of certain functional activities to occasion your death and then at the predetermined moment He shall resurrect you and back to Him you return for judgment

[29] He is it Who created for you all that is on earth, then applied He Himself to. the immeasurable expanse of the realm and set it in order and arranged it in seven heavens, and He is AL-'Alim who has infinite knowledge of all things

[30] For once Allah made a proclamation, to the angels of a great event; He said to them: "I am inducting a Vicegerent* on earth." The angels said: "Will You assign the earth to someone who shall make mischief therein, create discord and shed blood, while we adore Your Eternal Name and to You we express our feelings of warm approbation and extoll Your glorious attributes!" "But I am," said Allah, "AL-'Alim, Who knows what you do not know

[31] Then, He created Adam; Foreknowing that he would be destined to inhabit the earth, Allah imparted to him knowledge of all the names denoting members of all classes of beings and objects, the animate and the inanimate, the material and the immaterial. He then presented them to the angels, saying: "Give Me the designations of all that I imparted to Adam if you are declaring the truth

[32] Glory to Your Name," the angels said, "but the sum of what we know lies only in the range of the information and knowledge You imparted to us. You are indeed AL-'Alim and AL-Hakim (the Source of wisdom)

[33] Then Allah said to Adam: "Tell them, Adam, of the designations and the destined purposes of all imparted to you." and when Adam did , Allah said to the Angels: "Did I not tell you that I am AL-'Alim of all that is unknown in the heavens and on earth and of all you declare and of all you tried to conceal

[34] There and then We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam in adoration." The angels prostrated to Adam in admiration except Iblis who declined with inordinate self-esteem. He was a disobedient rebel

[35] We created from Adam his mate* who was mated to his design and said to him: "O Adam, make abode you and your wife in Paradise and eat as you will and wherever you will, it is all replete with choice of all delights, but do avoid this particular tree, keep off it and do not draw near it lest you both be wrongful of actions

[36] But through envy and hatred did Iblis, take delight in the portraiture of lawless passion and succeed in tempting them both to commit themselves to what they failed to realize would be an evil line of conduct that they ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree. With the prospect of pleasure and advantage of inciting them to evil, -AL-Shaytan- precipitated their ejection from the state of supreme bliss. In consequence, We said to them: "Upon Our command to all of you, We bring you down upon from this blissful state with mutual enmity toward each other, and you shall settle on earth for a predetermined point of time

[37] Prompted by the sense of guilt, Adam felt shame, but because guilt did not reside in the intention, Allah in mercy inspired him with a prayer for invoking His forgiveness, and in turn did Allah give up resentment against him and pardon his offence: it is He Who always accepts true repentance and the atonement made by the people, He is AL-Rahim

[38] We said to them: "Go all of you from this blissful state, you are doomed to a lower state, and the earth shall be your state. And when it is decided that you shall receive directions thereon to guide you to the path of righteousness, then those steered by the spirit of truth into all truth shall have no ground for alarm nor shall fear or dread fall upon them nor shall they come to grief

[39] But those who choose to reject faith, denying Allah and His ordinances, refusing to recognise Our revelations and signs, shall be inmates of Hell, wherein they shall endure forever

[40] Oyou Bani Isra‘il: "render solemn acknowledgement of My divine favour and impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness to Me for the efficacious grace I conferred on you and keep the vow you rendered to Me so that I assert My vow to you, and regard Me with the profound reverence and awe dutiful to Me

[41] And be strongly disposed to believe in the Quran I have been revealing, corroborating and authoritatively validating the authentic AL-Tawrah, which you possess. Yet it is indeed incredible that you have received it with incredulity and, of all people of faith, you are the first to deny it and refuse to give it solemn recognition. Do not then exchange the truth of My revelations and My Prophet for the vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world, and be careful not to come within the measure of My wrath nor neglect the profound reverence dutiful to Me

[42] Nor irreverently mix up the truth guiding into all truth and poison it with what you forge of falsehood, nor conceal the truth when you know it conforms with fact and agrees with reality

[43] Pay reverence and veneration to Me, and duly engage in worship and give zakat (alms), for zakat is but a vehicle of prayer, and bow the knees with those who bow their knees to Me in reverence and adoration

[44] Do you enjoin people to pay regard to what is just and right while you wilfully neglect to apply your hearts to wisdom and piety, when you peruse AL- Tawrah, and have knowledge of its text? Do you have no more sense than to indulge yourselves in vanity

[45] Resort to patience to possess your souls and have recourse to prayer, for more things are wrought by prayer, than this world dreams of, albeit that the practice of praying to Allah is viewed by people as involving labour and effort and is hard to accomplish, but not by those who humble themselves to Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[46] Who bear in mind, affirming with faith’s eye the certainty that they shall be in the venerable and revered Majestic presence of Allah, their Creator, and that they shall inevitably go back to Him

[47] O you Bani Israil: "Render solemn acknowledgement to My divine favour and impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness to Me for the efficacious grace I conferred on you and that I confined to you such prerogative as to be the chosen* for My mercy and blessings out of all people

[48] And guard yourselves against the horror, the Day when no soul shall be allowed to pay the debt owed to Allah by another, nor shall humble intercession be accepted from any one on behalf of another, nor shall the equivalent in ransom pay for the expiation of the guilt of another nor shall any tutelary protector, other than Allah, be a very present help in the inevitable trouble

[49] Recall that We rescued you from tyranny and oppression suffered at the hands of the people of Pharaoh, who brutally slaughtered your sons and to serve their purpose they spared your women; this was indeed a severe but sure test of your actions and reactions echoing your true beliefs and the prevalent inclinations among you

[50] And recall to the mind the big event of parting the sea to make a foot path for you across and We rescued you from the vengeful people of Pharaoh who pursued you, with malignancy and injurious action, and We drowned them before your eyes

[51] Then We ordained the divine assignation for Mussa and arranged the place and the time where and when We would be exposed to his mental view and he was in audience of Us after the completion of exclusive religious devotion for fourty nights, and you became impatient and paid reverence and veneration to the calf which you regarded it as a godhead, characterizing yourselves by perversity of judgment and wrong actions

[52] Yet We granted Mussa his prayer and extended to you Our mercy and forgiveness that you may hopefully impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude

[53] We gave Mussa the Book, the canon, illuminating the intellect and imparting the soundness of judgement in the choice of what is morally good, honest and straightforward, so that you may hopefully be guided into all truth

[54] And that once when you idolised the calf and Mussa said to you: "My people, you have indeed characterised yourselves by perversity of judgement and perversed the divine command by idolising the calf, and this is an affront nothing but blood can expiate! Therefore, stand repentant in lowliest plight to Allah, your Creator, and slay the wrongful of action among you, then you will have pursued the acceptable course to Allah, your Creator." Yet Allah give up resentment against you and pardoned your offence; it is He Who always accepts true repentance and people’s atonement and He is AL-Tawab (the Relenting) and AL-Rahim

[55] Again you said to Mussa:" "We will not recognise your mission until we see Allah personally and perceive Him by sight." "There and then did heaven reverberate thunder against you and the fearful echoes thundered in your ears and with lightning did heaven strike you dead as you gazed your souls away

[56] Then We revived you and the ambitious hopes which had seemed extinguished had been revived in your bosoms so that you may hopefully impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness

[57] We overshadowed you with the clouds to protect you from the heat of the sun and We ordained that the heavens provision you with "AL Manna", the continual dew of Our blessed victuals, and with the quails, and We said: "Eat of the worthy victuals with which We provisioned you. " Yet these people were determined to defy Our authority; they did not actually wrong Us, but in fact it was themselves that they had wronged indeed

[58] Remember that once We extended Our mercy to you redeeming you from the wilderness. We said to you: "Make entry into this town –AL-Quds- and eat as you will, wherever you will; it is all replete with choice of all delights and enjoy all that is wholesome and affords pleasure. Humble yourselves and bow your knees to Me as you go through the gate and let your bosoms surge forth and answer thanks. Express your thoughts in words invoking Me to relieve your hearts and unload your burden of sins. We will forgive your iniquities and reward those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety with what runs higher than what corresponds with their piety

[59] But the wrongful of actions had exchanged the virtuous spoken discourse authorized by heaven for the false discourse of their own making and in consequence did Heaven come upon them with a forcible impact of a torturing punishment in requital of their wickedness

[60] Recall to the mind that once when your people suffered thirst in the wilderness and Mussa prayed Us for water to slake their parched lips and quench their thirst and We said to him: "Strike the rock with your staff " and there gushed forth twelve springs and each tribe knew the spring belonging to them and then We said to them: "Eat and drink of the blessed victuals with which Allah has provisioned you and stop making mischief on earth and refrain yourselves from creating discord

[61] Again that once when you said to Mussa: "we cannot bear to eat always the same kind of food nor can we put up with it, and so beseech Allah, your Creator, on our behalf to make the soil produce for us what it vegetates of its verdure and of its cucumber, its garlic and lentils and of its onions. "Displeased as he was, Mussa said: "Will you people exchange the worthy and wholesome food for the food of the lower quality! " "If this be your wish, then leave Sinai and go down to a town and you will come to have what you asked for". There and then were they stamped with humiliation and misery and came within the measure of Allah's wrath. This was in the train of their denial of Allah's revelations and signs demonstrating Omnipotence and Authority and of bringing death unjustifiably upon the Prophets of their own nation. Such vices were a sequel to the disobedience natural to them that it drew after it their addiction to transgression

[62] Nonetheless, those who are disposed to believe in the Prophets who dated far back into the past, and those who profess Judaism and the Christians, the various sects of the Sabeites or Mendaites and of the Sabians, and those who fall in line with the Prophet Muhammad, whoever believes in Allah, His Oneness, Uniqueness, Sameness, Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Ultimate Authority and acknowledges the truth of Resurrection and Judgment and whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety, shall Heaven reward them all for their homage thereto. No fear nor dread shall fall upon them nor shall they come to grief

[63] Also, recall to the mind that once when you camped at the foot of the Mount and heaven thundered and the awe –inspiring- echoes thundered in your ears as We entered with you into a covenant and We stabilized the Mount above you when it shook with such fits of awe for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, and We said: "Adhere to all that We have imparted to you AL-Tawrah and observe the code of discipline and body of regulations and hold them in esteem and hold to your promise, pay attention and regard to it and be mindful of Our commandments so that you may hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful Allah

[64] Thus still you have been disobedient, and had it not been for Allah's efficacious grace and mercy abounding in you, you would have incurred privation and suffered a great loss

[65] You knew those of you who broke the Sabbath We set apart for rest and worship, and you defiled yourselves with sin and so did heaven lay your transgression to your charge and decreed that you be monkeyfied and your monkey-like character and behaviour be viewed with contempt, and that you be despised and rejected of men

[66] Such fateful attribute We ascribed to them was intended to serve as an example to their contemporaries and to those who would follow, as well as a caution to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[67] Also, that once when Mussa said to his people: "Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow". They said to Mussa: "Are you trying to make us the object of a practical joke?" Mussa said: "Allah forbid that I be a simpleton

[68] They said to Mussa: "Beseech Allah, your Creator, to point out to us the kind of cow". Mussa said: Allah says: "It is a cow neither old nor young but in an intermediate stage and now Allah has commanded and you shall have to obey

[69] Again they said: "Beseech Allah, your Creator, on our behalf to indicate to us its colour". Mussa said: Allah says: "It is a vivid yellow cow particularly attractive to beholders

[70] Again they said to Mussa: "Beseech Allah, your Creator, on our behalf to specify the characteristic features of the cow since to us all cows are alike, and Allah willing we will be able to find the cow meeting the said features

[71] Mussa said: "Allah says it is a cow that has not been used in ploughing the land nor watering the fields, a cow free of all physical defects." There and then they said to Mussa: "Now you have brought us the truth," and they slaughtered the cow in sacrifice in spite of hesitation though they almost did not

[72] And you slew a man and the case was wrapped in mystery and you all tried to absolve yourselves of the blood guilt, but Allah would not permit it and He exposed the truth which you tried to conceal

[73] Their and then We commanded Mussa to say to you: "Strike the corpse with a piece of the heifer’s carcass," and there the man was brought to life only for as long as he made known in a supernatural manner, the name of the man who had killed him. Thus, Allah exhibits His unlimited power to effect what He will, in any manner He will and to resurrect all the dead when He will. He displays to you His signs and His marvels demonstrating Omnipotence and Authority so that you may hopefully comprehend and lift to Him your inward sight

[74] Thereafter, with all the blessings and mercy Allah extended to you, your hearts have been as hard as stone or even harder. In fact, among massive stones are some from which rivers gush out flowing copiously, others split to allow water to flow in streams and others shake with such fits of awe, shaking and splitting into atoms for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah is not unaware of all you do

[75] O Muslims do you really expect that Ahl al-Kitab (the Jews) would accept or believe or fall in line with you when some of them (the rabbi) comprehended the word of Allah and His precepts represented in AL-Tawrah and perverted the truth with falsehood

[76] When they meet the true believers face to face they declare that they have conformed their will to Allah’s. And when they are with their like-minded companions they are reprehended for conversing with the Muslims on Muhammad's mission documented in AL-Tawrah previously when assenting to this truth is against their interest; They say to them: "Do you reveal to the Muslims knowledge Allah entrusted to us so that they use it against us in the venerable, Majestic presence of Allah, your Creator; Have you no sense as to exercise the faculty of reason

[77] Do they not know that Allah knows what they exchange secretly or whisper and what they suggest secretly and all feelings stored in their hearts, and He is well acquainted with all they utter out loud

[78] Among them are illiterates who do not know the precepts nor the mandates according with AL-Tawrah’s texts; they only know what the demagogic rabbi had purposed, and the knowledge they imparted was wholly infested with falsehood yielding only false hopes vested with ignorance and illiteracy, thus affording conjecture

[79] In cconsequence, woe upon those who reproduce Allah’s Book by wording it differently in a demagogic way, distorting meanings and relating them to Allah in order to exchange the truth for the vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world. Woe betide them for their wrongful and unclean hands, they shall be miserable as a result of their sinful iniquities

[80] They say: "Fire will not touch us but for a certain number of days". Say to them, O Muhammad: "Was that a promise Allah made to you granting you future security against vindication and in consequence you are relieved, knowing that Allah never breaks His promise! Or do you relate to Allah a world in a grain of sand or a heaven in a wild flower and your comfort flows from ignorance

[81] Truly you people take liberties to impudently assume Allah. Indeed, the inequitable have guilt residing in their intention, and wrongful actions beset them on all sides, their punishment shall be commensurate with their deeds, and such persons are the inmates of Hell wherein they shall last forever

[82] Whereas the faithful, of wise and pious deeds, shall rejoice beyond a common joy; they shall be welcomed into gardens of bliss and surpassing beauty wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity

[83] Again, We entered into a Covenant with Bani Isra‘il, thus: “You worship no one but Allah,” We said, “and adore Him with appropriate rites and commit your parents to your kind care and express a friendly and kind disposition to your kindred, the orphans and the poor and talk to people with eloquence and forbearance and engage in worship and give zakat for zakat is but a vehicle of prayer.” Yet you counselled deaf and paid no attention, with exception of a few who opened their hearts’ ears and heeded Our ordinance

[84] Again, We entered into another Covenant declaring thus: "Do not shed your own blood", We said, "nor expel each other from your dwellings," and you sanctioned it and bore witness to its validity as stated in your own AL-Tawrah

[85] Yet again you ignore the principles you supported and you kill each other and expel some of your own people from their homes and you ally yourselves with their enemies in sin and transgression against the divine law and moral principles. When some of them fall into captivity you revert to the principles in AL-Tawrah and redeem them, albeit the same principles forbid you to shed your own blood nor to expel each other from your homes. Do you people credit part of the Book upon the ground of Allah’s Authority and discredit part upon the ground of your authority? Indeed, he who adopts this line of conduct shall suffer for his offence; he shall be lost to shame here. Such persons shall be delivered to the abyss with its torrential scorching and roaring flames Hereafter; they shall suffer torment and be put to torture; and Allah is not unaware of what you do

[86] These people, O Muhammad, have exchanged the Hereafter for here below, with gazes fixed upon the world and its vanities; their suffering shall never abate nor shall their excruciating pain be mitigated nor can anyone help them out of their misery

[87] You, Bani Isra‘il, know that We gave Mussa AL-Tawrah and We sent other Prophets sequentially: We sent ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam, with clear revelations and signs guiding out of darkness and superstition of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and enlightenment, and We supported him by giving him countenance by the Holy Spirit. Yet is it not indeed incredible that as often as a Prophet is sent to you with divine principles not to your taste, you become extravagant in your account of yourselves and display inordinate self-confidence? Some you renounce and some you accuse of assuming false character, and others you kill or you conspire their death

[88] They say to you, O Muhammad: "Our hearts’ ears are deaf, and our hearts treasure every branch of divine knowledge and wisdom that we can no longer absorb." The fact is Allah has cursed them for their irreverence and impiety. How their faith in Allah is shaken

[89] When a Book was presented to them from Heaven, a Book , a treasure purposed to this life and life beyond, corroborating AL-Tawrah, they refused to accept it although it clearly foretold the Prophet Muhammad's coming; an event they had always been expecting and at times wishing it be hastened on to help them get the upper hand in argument and gain advantages in arguments and victories in wars over those who deny Allah. Yet when the prophesy was fulfilled and the Prophet Muhammad came with the Quran, they refused to acknowledge the truth of his mission. Consequently, Allah has consigned those who deny Him to misery and their homes shall be cursed

[90] How worthless is the price they received for selling their souls to immorality and wickedness, inequitably rejecting the truth received from Allah guiding into all truth; a defying impiety induced by transgression -natural to them- and by base envy reflecting sincere hatred upon those whom Allah Has mercifully granted, the prerogative of Prophethood, an unreachable excellence. There and then they came again within the measure of Allah's wrath and incurred wrath upon wrath, and the punishment is humiliating to those who deny Allah and ignore His commands

[91] And when they are told to acknowledge the statutes Allah has imparted to the Prophet Muhammad, the last of Allah’s Messengers carrying the enacted law entrusted by Allah, they say: "We only acknowledge what has been imparted to us," and they deny and renounce all else when they know the truth validating AL- Tawrah. Say to them, O Muhammad: "Why then did you slay Allah’s Prophets in the past if your hearts are truly faithful

[92] Mussa came to you in earlier times with clear revelations and signs guiding out of darkness and superstition of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and enlightenment, yet in his absence, you paid reverence and veneration to the calf and committed yourselves to evil conduct and wrong behaviour

[93] And Recall when you camped at the foot of Mount and heaven thundered and the awe inspiring echoes thundered in your ears as We entered with you into a Covenant and We stabilized the mountain above you when it shook with such fits for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and We said: "Adhere to all that We have imparted to you in AL-Tawrah and observe and esteem the code of discipline and regulations, hold to your promise, pay attention and regard". And your people said: "We have opened our hearts' ears " But their actions did not accord to their words. They impiously took the calf and drank with delight, to tame their wicked feelings. Say to them, O Muhammad: "If these are the principles of your faith steering your course of action, then how worthless is your apprehension of divine truth and system of religious belief, if you truly represent yourselves as people of faith

[94] Say to them, O Muhammad: "If you truly believe in eternal bliss, excluding all else then wish yourselves dead if you declare the truth

[95] But never shall they wish their death because of what their wrongful hands have committed; and Allah knows the wrongful well

[96] You shall find them, O Muhammad, of all people, the most eager, for longevity, even more than the Pagans, none of them aims for the grave but would rather be entangled in the web of life for a thousand years. But nothing shall alter his punitive destiny even if he is carried through the stealing steps of age to this desired advanced life span, and Allah is Bassirun (Omnipresent): He sees all that they do

[97] Say to them, O Muhammad: they must realize he who defies Jibril (Gabriel), it is he who imparts the Quran to your consciousness with Allah’s Authority, corroborating AL-Tawrah and carrying the torch of truth guiding into all truth, inspiring those with faithful hearts with blissful tidings

[98] He who defies Allah, His angels, His Prophets, Jibril and Mikhail, must realise that Allah is at enmity with those who deny Him and deny those who serve Him

[99] We have imparted to you, O Muhammad, clear Quranic revelations guiding away from want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and enlightenment, and none refuses to acknowledge them but the perverse depraved and faithless

[100] Is it not the case that when they make a promise to you, O Muhammad and to others before you, some of them always break it? In fact, most of them are faithlessly disposed

[101] And when the prophesy in the authentic AL-Tawrah was fulfilled and the Prophet Muhammad arrived carrying the final message from Allah with the Quran validating AL-Tawrah, some of them shut their eyes to the prophesy ignoring their own Book which conforms to the will of Allah and turned their backs upon it as if they were never aware

[102] And they pursued vanity and neglected religion; they were attracted to characteristics befitting AL-Shayatin who attributed Sulayman's (Solomon) prerogative of Prophethood and power to the art of sorcery and occult qualities; a defying impiety and a serious offence for which Sulayman was innocent. In fact it was the blasphemers who defied Allah. They taught people necromancy which they practised through contact with evil spirits and through the knowledge they acquired from revelations imparted to the two angelic Babylonians Harut and Marut. But Harut and Marut made it clear that their art was a source of temptation and an incitement to evil and they cautioned against indulgence as it meant defiance to Allah. Yet those blasphemers pursued the evil aspect of this art using those spirits to sow discord between husband and wife and other similar evil acts. Nonetheless no one suffers harm unless divinely predetermined. They applied themselves to learning the art which inflicts harm upon them and they derive no profit from it. Yet they knew that he who engages in sorcery for vice shall have no bliss of the Hereafter; how worthless was the price they received for selling their own souls to immorality and wickedness if they only knew

[103] Had they truthfully believed in Allah and entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Him, Allah would have been their hope and His mercy and blessings would have been far better than what they lost if they only knew

[104] O you, faithful believers: Do not address the Prophet in Hebrew disrespectfully. Do not say "Ra’ina" when you desire His attention, instead say, "‘Unzurna" or turn your attention directing your eye upon us; and those who defy Allah shall endure torture

[105] Neither the faithless of Ahl al-Kitab who defy Allah nor the Pagans wish that you receive Allah’s mercy and blessings, but Allah extends His mercy to whom He will. He is the source of sufficient grace abounding in whom He will and of the efficacious grace effecting ends

[106] They question, O Muhammad, the wisdom of abrogation in certain circumstances. None of Our revelations or signs, secondary in character, do We terminate, but We replace it with a better or equivalent substitute; do you not know that Allah is Qadirun (Omnipotent) to effect all things

[107] Do you not know that the Sovereign Authority and the supreme control of the heavens and earth resides with Allah, and besides Him you people have no guardian nor can any one afford you help

[108] Or do you people wish to challenge your Prophet to produce supernatural acts as Mussa was challenged to perform earlier by his contemporaries who demanded to see Allah personally? Indeed, he who exchanges Faith for disbelief will have wronged himself and wandered from the path of righteousness

[109] Many of Ahl al-Kitab wish they could turn you renegades, a desire induced by base envy reflecting sincere hatred for you people who have conformed to Islam, even though they have recognized the truth. Nevertheless, forgive them and do not entertain them with antagonistic thoughts until Allah circumstances matters of fact in His own manner and His command comes to pass. Allah is indeed Qadirun over all in all

[110] And participate in the act of divine worship, giving zakat, for zakat is but a vehicle of prayer, and whatever you advance of piety toward future security, you shall find preserved in heaven’s realm. Allah is Bassirun (Omnipresent): He sees all that you do

[111] And in their way of thinking they say: "No one shall be admitted to Paradise and enjoy the bliss and surpassing beauty of the Hereafter but he who conforms to Judaism or Christianity". This is the imagination.they entertain Say to them, O Muhammad: "Produce your convincing evidence if you declare the truth

[112] But it is only he who gives a good impression to Allah, serving His purpose with wise and pious deeds: who shall find a pleasing reward in heaven’s realm and no fear or dread shall fall upon him nor shall he come to grief

[113] And yet the Jews say: "The Christians are prone to a system not based upon truth." And the Christians say: "The Jews rely on a religion without the groundwork of truth, while both of them learn from the same Book." Without much knowledge of the Book, the Pagans said this but Allah shall judge them in Day of Judgement* in matters concerning their variance

[114] And who is more wrong-minded than he who blocks the way to places of divine worship by placing obstacles and intends to destroy them in attempt to prevent religious observance and to preclude the adoration of Allah's Eternal Name Such persons were not to enter these places except secretly, fearing for their life. They shall suffer disgrace and multiple humiliations here, and be put to the torture Hereafter

[115] And to Allah belong the East with its four cardinal points where the sun rises and the West with its four cardinal points where the sun sets, and therefore to whichever point in the universe you turn you shall be in Allah's August Presence. Allah is Wasi’un (Omnipresent),and 'Alimun

[116] And yet they say: "Allah has begotten a son." Glory be to Him, His glorious attributes extolled, but to Him all that exists in the heavens and earth belong to Him and all exercise a submissive reverence to His Authority

[117] He is it Who generated the heavens and earth and when He ordains something He only says: "Be" and it is

[118] And those who are so ignorant to know the truth vented their hearts, which are overflowing with the sense of sin, they said: “If only Allah would speak to us or display a sign evincing both Muhammad's Prophethood and integrity!” This much said those who preceded them who had similar natured hearts as those who succeeded them. Their thoughts are so base, pursuing vanity. We have expounded Our revelations and signs evincing both Omnipotence and Authority to people who lift to Allah their inward sight

[119] We have sent you, O Muhammad, with the truth as a spectacle and a warning to all, and you shall not be responsible for those who are born to be fuel for the fires of Hell

[120] In fact, neither the Jews nor the Christians shall be pleased with you, O Muhammad until you conform to their system of faith. Say to them: "Indeed it is only the course steered by Allah the one and only way that leads to the path of righteousness with Providence as the guide. And should you be tempted to follow their wishes, given the knowledge imparted to you, then do not expect Allah to maintain you under His tutelage

[121] Those people to whom We gave AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil, who read their Book with careful scrutiny in search of truth, shall recognize what really proceeded from Allah and what has been adulterated by base admixture of false glosses. Such persons shall comprehend the truth and accordingly honour the Quran. And he who refuses to acknowledge the truth proceeded from Allah shall be an inherent loser

[122] O you Bani Isra‘il: "Render solemn acknowledgement of My divine favour and impel yourselves with the feeling of gratitude to Me for the efficacious grace I conferred upon you and that I confined you to such prerogative as to be chosen* out of all people for My mercy and blessings

[123] Guard yourselves from the horror of the Day when no soul shall be allowed to pay the debt owed to Allah by another, nor shall the equivalent in ransom pay for the expiation of the guilt of one soul or another, nor shall humble intercession be accepted from anyone on behalf of another, nor shall any tutelary protector other than Allah be of any help in the inevitable trouble

[124] For once Allah tested Ibrahim with divine commands which Ibrahim had fulfilled. In response Allah said to him: "I have ordained to appoint you as the Imam, or religious leader, of mankind". "Will this apply to my descendants?" asked Ibrahim. "My appointment," said Allah, "is not designated to the wrong- minded

[125] We ordained the Sacred House -the Ka’ba- a safe retreat for people, that you Muslims take Ibrahim’s station where he performed the prescribed acts of devotion, as a place of prayer. And We committed Ibrahim and Isma‘il to cleanse My House from moral and spiritual defilement and to impart real sacredness upon it and ceremonially purify it for those who revolve in it in procession ,for those who retreat for religious observance, for those who kneel in supplication, prostrating mentally and willfully acknowledging Allah's Omnipotence, perfection and Authority, and those who prostrate their reason to divine revelation

[126] Then Ibrahim made a devout and humble supplication to Allah to bless the city of Macca. He prayed: “I beseech You, Allah, my Creator, to make this city a safe retreat affording security and peace of mind. And provision its people with the earth’s kind fruits favouring those among them who believed in Allah and in Day of Judgement with hearts impressed with religious and spiritual virtues.” “Quite the contrary”, Allah said, “but also he who shall be denied the heaven's bliss I will satisfy in life. I make him hold and enjoy the same to a predetermined point, then I will drive him into Hell. How evil is his destiny!”

[127] And as Ibrahim and Isma‘il were laying the foundation of the Sacred House they prayed: "O Allah, our Creator, accept this service from us. You are AL- Bassir with unlimited audition, AL-'Alim

[128] And make out of both of us, O Allah, our Creator, two Muslims who conform their will to Yours and of our descendants a Muslim nation who conforms their will to Yours. And show us our rites and articles of our faith and the prescribed order of performing religious and other devotional services and turn to us in mercy; You are AL-Tawab (the Relenting),and AL-Rahim,(the Merciful)

[129] And send in their midst, O Allah, our Creator, a Prophet from among them to recite Your revelations, to teach them the Book, to acquaint their hearts with wisdom and to impart sanctity unto them; You are AL-Aziz(Almighty),and AL- Hakim (the Source of wisdom)

[130] Who would reject Ibrahim’s system of faith and worship but a deranged fool? We have conferred such a prerogative confined to him here, and he shall be among the virtuous and nearest to Allah Hereafter

[131] When Allah said to him: "Conform your will to Mine", he answered: "I vow to resign myself to Allah, Creator of the universe, and conform my will to His blessed will

[132] There and then Ibrahim bequeathed this rich legacy to his sons as later did his grandson Ya’qub (Jacob); they both enjoined their sons to the same belief. "O my Sons", they said, "Allah has chosen for you a particular system of faith and worship, you are enjoined to observe and practice it, therefore, adhere to it so that when death lays its hands upon you, and you pass through his door you will have conformed your will to Allah's blessed will

[133] Or you people were present when Ya’qub lay on his deathbed and you testify that he enjoined his sons to adhere to a system of faith other than Islam? In fact, you knew well that on his deathbed Ya’qub gathered his sons and said to them: "Whom shall you worship after I have departed life?" they said: "We will pay reverence to Allah, your Allah, the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim, Isma‘il and Ishak (Isaac), One Ilah to Whom we display our devotion and adoration by appropriate acts and rites conforming our will to His blessed wil"l

[134] These were a people who passed through nature to Eternity; they are accountable for their deeds and you are accountable for yours, and you shall not be responsible for their deeds

[135] Yet once more Ahl Al-Kitab explicitly say: "Be Jews or Christians, and thus be guided into all truth". Say to them, O Muhammad: "But rather the religion of Ibrahim as the true and straightforward, and his system of faith and worship; never did he incorporate with Allah other deities

[136] O Muslims, declare thus: "We believe in Allah and in all that has been imparted to us and in the Quran and in all that was imparted to Ibrahim and Isma‘il, Ishaq and Ya’qub and to the tribes of his twelve sons and to Mussa and ‘Isa. And we believe in all that was imparted to Allah’s Prophets; We do not discriminate between them and we conform our will to His blessed will; He is the heart of our purpose

[137] So, if they faithfully espouse the same system of faith, worship and principles as you, then the spirit of truth has guided them into all truth, but if they should turn a deaf ear then they are at variance, and Allah’s blessings, like a beacon, shall guard you from their inequities; He is AL-Sami’(all- Hearing),and AL-'Alim

[138] Say to them: "If your baptism symbolises purification and initiation, then who can confer a better spiritual baptism than Allah .He is the heart of our purpose and to His blessed will we submit ours

[139] Say to them, O Muhammad: "Do you dispute the definitive action Allah chooses for His message when He is Our Creator and we are all accountable for our deeds! Our hearts surge up and answer sincere thanks to Him

[140] Or do you claim that Ibrahim and Isma‘il, Ishak and Ya’qub and the Tribes were Jews or Christians when you know that AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil were sent down to Mussa and ‘Isa, founders of Judaism and Christianity? Do you know better than Allah, AL-Sami’ and AL-’Alim? Who is more wrongful than he who hides an attestation from Allah? Allah is not unaware of all you do

[141] These were a people who have passed through nature to Eternity; they are accountable for their actions and you are accountable for yours, and you shall not be responsible for their deeds

[142] And the fool among the people, were excited by the perception of an unexpected and inexplicable, bewildering event, so they began to speak their thoughts; they said: "What made the Muslims change their Qiblah, the direction to which they turn at prayer?" Say to them, O Muhammad: "To Allah belong the East with its four cardinal points where the sun rises and the West with its four cardinal points where the sun sets; He guides whom He will to the path of righteousness

[143] Thus We made an ‘Umma (nation) of you Muslims with balanced reason so that you be witnesses of peoples’ actions characterizing their rival systems. The Prophet would be a witness of your actions, and your deeds are a witness of your worth. We initially established AL-Quds as the Kiblah toward which you, Muhammad, turned in prayer distinguishing those who obey the Prophet and exposing the disobedient who turn on their heels, reversing their position. This was hard on those with the rich legacy of Ibrahim before them but they bowed to Providence as their guide. Allah was not going to annul your religious and spiritual virtues, for Allah displays kindness to those who serve Him and those who do not: His mercy is extended to all

[144] We have seen you, O Muhammad, turning your face skyward in expectation of something desired, hopeful of a change relative to Ibrahim, leader of mankind. Thus, We will appoint a Kiblah for you to meet your expectation. Therefore, wherever you may be, turn your face in prayer toward the Sacred Mosque, the Ka’ba at Macca. As for Ahl Al-Kitab, they know this to be the truth from Allah, their Creator, and Allah is not unaware of all they do

[145] If you, Muhammad, were to present Ahl Al-Kitab with signs evincing your Prophethood and Allah’s Omnipotence and Authority, they shall never follow your Kiblah nor shall you follow theirs, nor shall they follow each other’s Qiblah, and should you be tempted to follow their vain wishes given the knowledge imparted to you, then you will miss the path of righteousness and indeed be wrong

[146] In fact, Ahl Al-Kitab received the Scriptures from Us foretelling all present events. They know the truth of your mission very well. They know of the Quran and the Qiblah and assert their existence as much as their sons’ identity, but some of them hide the evident truth

[147] But the truth has proceeded to you, O Muhammad, from Allah, your Creator, therefore do not permit their false assertions to cause you doubt and anxiety

[148] Every one, individually or in a group, justifying faith as a conviction operative on the character and will, is distinguished by attributes characterizing him or the group with a particular aim or goal. Or with a Kiblah meeting his or their expectations and may or may not be based on spiritual apprehension of divine truths past or present. This must not be the cause inducing you people to contend against each other. The cause for which you should be ready to contend to your life's end is good will and deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety. One day, wherever you may be, shall Allah bring you all together to His venerable Majestic presence; He is indeed Qadirun over all things

[149] And whenever you, Muhammad, depart from a place, turn your face at prayer toward the Sacred Mosque, for it is indeed the truth proceeding from Allah, your Creator, and Allah is not unaware of all that you do

[150] Again, whenever you depart from a place, always turn your face at prayer toward the Sacred Mosque and wherever you people may be, inside or outside, turn your faces at prayer to ward it, so that you people do not stand at the mark of criticism by others except by the wrongful. Do not fear them but fear and revere Me so that I may bestow My favour upon you, and you may be guided into all truth

[151] Even as We sent to you people a Prophet from among you to recite to you Our revelations, and impart sanctity, teach you the Book and acquaint your hearts with wisdom and with what you did not knew intellectually nor spiritually

[152] Therefore, bear Me in mind with reverence so that I bear you in mind and impel yourselves with gratitude. And do not be callous with hearts barren of faith

[153] O you who believe with faithful hearts: seek consolation in patience and in prayer and draw your souls close to Allah. Allah upholds the patient who endure trouble with calmness and composure, showing forbearance under provocation, bearing with others their faults and limitations and showing constancy in labour and effort

[154] Do not consider the martyrs in Allah’s cause to be dead. They carried truth’s banners against odds and have acquired the glorious privilege of martyrdom through resisting shedding blood with spiritual armour. Do not say, "They are dead", for they are alive in heaven's realm but your senses do not perceive this fact

[155] We will afflict you with some disagreeable events and misfortunes to test your faith’s qualities. We will make you experience fear, hunger and loss of wealth and lives, and a diminished yield in the earth’s fruits. But announce, O Muhammad, blissful tidings to the patient and constantly persevering, unwearied in the face of difficulties and hindrances

[156] Who lift to Allah their inward sight when befallen with a misfortune or a calamity, expressing themselves thus: "We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return

[157] These are the recipients of Allah's efficacious grace, on whom Allah, their Creator, has conferred His blessings and mercy. Providence guides them into all truth

[158] Behold, the mounts of Safa and Marwa in Macca, long-time objects of superstition to the idolaters, are in fact territorial divinities. Therefore, he who goes on AL-Hajj (pilgrimage) to the Sacred Mosque or on the minor Hajj, the ‘Umra, incurs no blame to go round in procession, and he who offers of his own accord to perform this virtuous rite shall find Allah responsive to pious actions. Indeed, Allah acknowledges what is esteemed a worthy deed; He is 'Alimun

[159] Indeed, those who conceal the knowledge of the clear signs and revelations guiding out of darkness and superstition of later times and from want of spiritual and intellectual vision into mental illumination and enlightenment have come within the measure of Allah's wrath. They have earned the curse of Allah and of the angels and of the pious whose curse damages the accused; their own homes shall be cursed

[160] But such misfortune would be cancelled for those who repent, make amends and declare the truth. Such persons shall come in My grace. I will pardon their offence. It is I who accept true repentance and people’s atonement. I am AL- Rahim

[161] Those denying Allah, and rejecting the Faith, who died captivated in disbelief, had come within the measure of Allah's wrath. Such persons have earned the curse of Allah, the angels and of mankind

[162] Such a curse of divine wrath and malignant fate shall follow them like their shadow until the day when they are dragged in chains into Hell, confined with shackles and put to unrelenting torment nor shall their punishment be put in respite

[163] Your Allah is One Ilah; there is no Ilah but Him, AL-Rahman and AL-Rahim

[164] The creation of the heavens and the earth, the constant alternation symbolizing night and day, the ships sailing and navigating for transport ,the rain* Allah sends down from the floor of heaven’s vault where He revives the earth after suffering death**, and what He scattered over it of animate beings, in addition to the air circulating in various directions with varying degrees of weight and pressure and the clouds** floating at various heights in the upper air, circulating in servitude between the vault of heaven and earth; are indeed signs with prodigies emblematic of Omnipotence and Authority, sensed by those who reflect

[165] Yet among people are those who equal with Allah deities haunting their imagination and regard them with the same affection and devotion dutiful only to Allah. But those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand maintain Allah in the inmost affection of their hearts and reverence Him with true and affectionate devotion and consider Him the principle of their existence, the heart of their purpose and their Ultimate end. And if only the wrongful of actions could visualize the torture awaiting them, they would realize that to Allah belongs all power, and that Omnipotence is asserted as His own; He punishes severely

[166] Then those who were authoritatively followed would declare their innocence distinguishing themselves from those who followed their path. No sooner do they perceive the penalty imposed for the evil wrought by want of thought,than the ties of their common belief would have been severed

[167] Then those adherent disciples who followed would say: "If only we could have the chance to go back to life below we would withdraw their worldly interests and renounce them and their errors as they have renounced us Hereafter." Thus does Allah show them that their evil deeds now represent nothing but the trappings of woe and never shall they be released from Hell

[168] O you people, eat of what is on earth. It is replete with choice of all delights, and enjoy all purity, lawfulness and wholesomeness and not what is forbidden. Do not follow AL-Shaytan’s footsteps nor walk in the footsteps of those with characteristics befitting AL-Shaytan; he is indeed your avowed enemy

[169] He incites you and commands your sympathy to commit yourselves to an evil line of conduct and to disregard the horror of immorality, besides relating to Allah claims you know not to be true or false

[170] And when the unbelievers are told to recognize Allah’s revelations consenting to them, they say: "We only lean on our fathers system of faith and worship." But how will it be if their fathers lacked sound Judgement in choosing means and ends and miss the path of righteousness

[171] Their negative response to the Prophet fits exactly the example of the cattle’s response to the herdsman urging them forward: either of them can hear only the utterance but none of them can intelligently distinguish between shades of meaning nor perceive value differences; deaf, dumb and blind, they cannot claim the discourse with their intellect

[172] O you who believe with faithful hearts: eat the worthy foods, We provisioned you, and impel yourselves to gratitude to Allah, if indeed it is He Whom you worship

[173] He only forbids you to eat the flesh of a dead beast, and blood, the flesh of swine and the flesh of a beast slaughtered under the invocation of a name other than Allah’s. But under compelling circumstances, not through wilful disobedience and transgression, shall Allah relax the status of a sin incurred; Allah is indeed Ghafurun (Forgiving),and Rahimun

[174] Those who keep others from the knowledge of Allah’s clear revelations in AL-Tawrah and exchange the truth for the worthless vanity of the ephemeral world, simply consume nothing but fire in their bellies. Allah shall ignore them in Day of Judgement, He shall not absolve them from guilt nor from notorious crimes and they shall be put to torment

[175] These are the ones who have been steered by false beliefs and exchanged Providence's guidance to the path of righteousness for the perplexed path in a maze, and forgiveness and mercy for torment and torture; how persistent they are in their struggle to cast themselves to Hell

[176] Such a destiny they incurred is simply the consequence of their negative response to the Book of virtues Allah revealed in truth and sincerity, and those who disputed its precepts have set themselves at variance, unable to mend this discord

[177] Conformity of life and conduct in divine law for righteous living does not simply mean turning your faces at prayer toward the east or the west, but it entails adherence to principles serving as the basis of Allah’s system of faith and worship. It entails that you believe in Allah and in the Day of Judgement with faithful hearts, that you entertain with profound reverence the belief on ground of Authority in Allah’s, spiritual beings, attendants and Messengers, that you solemnly consent to Allah’s Books revealed to His Prophets and to the Prophets themselves, that you spend of your wealth in benevolence and benefaction on the poor among your kindred, on the orphans, on those in need and on the wayfarer who has no means of transportation, on those who make a request for aid in times of difficulty or distress and on redeeming and setting free servants who are completely divested of freedom and personal rights, that you engage in the act of appropriate worship, that you give zakat for zakat is the vehicle of prayer, that you fulfil the promise when you make one and that you exercise patience when befallen with a misfortune and the distress of warfare against enemies. These are the ones who have characterized themselves with virtuous qualities and stand true in Allah’s honour and these are the ones who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[178] O you who believe with faithful hearts, a prescriptive rule for retaliation is decreed for you to observe in the case of wilful murder as thus: a free man enjoying civil liberty for a free man enjoying civil liberty, a servant divested of freedom and personal rights for a slave with identical circumstances, a woman for a woman of the same social position. But if a brother (co-religionist) is in a position to forgive, then forgiveness should go hand in hand with sound Judgement and the demands should be agreeable to reason as judged appropriate to the circumstances. And the blood guilty should answer the demand in good will, with liberality and generosity. This is an admission of relaxation advanced by Allah, your Creator, in mercy to you. But he who transgresses thereafter shall be put to the torment

[179] O you people of understanding, you have a bond in the law of retaliation with restraining force putting a check on wilful murder, redressing grievances, and conferring on you protection and security, that you may hopefully lift to Allah your inward sight and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[180] A prescriptive rule is decreed when you feel death approaching and he possesses useful, exchangeable valuables he shall leave behind, then he shall bequeath part of it equitably to the parents and next of kin. This is an obligation for those who are dutiful and revere Allah

[181] If the will was not committed to writing but the intention was expressed verbally, then the auditor or auditors who change the deceased's equitable and just intention shall incur a deadly sin; Allah is Sami’un (with unlimited audition), and ’Alimun

[182] But he who believes the testator has wronged without guilty intentions or if the testator’s motives were selfish and unjust and tries to redress the wrong and bring peace among those concerned, he shall incur no sin; Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[183] O you who believe with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues: the prescriptive rule of fasting is decreed for you to observe as it was observed by those who came before you in time, so that you may entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and lift to Him your inward sight

[184] It is a religious observance that lasts for a fixed number of days. But those of you who are sick or proceeding on a journey shall compensate the fast by the same number of days at a later date. As for those who experience hardship caused by fasting, they appease Allah by expiation of feeding an indigent. Nonetheless, he who voluntarily offers to commit good shall find benevolence and benefaction indeed rewarding; and if you are able to fast, it profits you, if only you knew

[185] Ramadan is the month of fasting during which the Quran’s poignant disclosure was revealed to guide people into all truth; its clear revelations guide out of darkness and superstition and eliminate want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and mental enlightenment, and its precepts are the standard to judge right or wrong. Therefore, he who grasps sight of the birth of the moon shall begin to fast. But he who is sick or proceeding on a journey shall fast the same number of days at a later time. Allah purposes to put you at ease and not make you experience discomfort. He wants you to complete the course of fasting so that you praise Allah and extol His glorious attributes for His guidance to the path of righteousness and that you may hopefully impel yourselves to feel gratitude

[186] Should My servants call upon you, O Muhammad, for informing them about My attributes, then emphatically express that I am in their immediate proximity; I respond favourably to the humble petitioner’s prayer when he addresses Me. But those who aim for My blessings are expected to raise their internal consciousness, responding favourably to My system of faith and worship and believe in Me with faithful hearts, that they may hopefully be guided to the path of righteousness

[187] It is lawful for you to approach your wives if you will at night when not fasting following sunset, between breakfast and dawn. As fitting garments, you are mutual sources of comfort. Allah knows your instinct, a source of self- deceit, and in His infinite mercy He gave up resentment toward you and pardoned your offence. Therefore, now you may feel free to approach them following the statutes ordained by Allah with pure hearts and minds, and you may eat and drink until you can distinguish between the black thread of night and the silver streak of dawn, and thenceforth you fast until darkness prevails at the close of daylight. refrain at all times from intimacy and emotions exciting your carnal desire While in retreat in the mosques exercising religious devotion. These are the limitations imposed by Allah, therefore, confine yourselves within them. Thus, Allah expresses His revelations to people with distinct apprehension of all involved, so that they may hopefully learn self-restraint in reverence dutiful to Him

[188] And do not usurp others’ possessions unlawfully and present bribes to their judges to sway their discernment so that you sinfully devour a part of peoples’ possessions being aware of your evil doings

[189] They call upon you, O Muhammad, to inform them about the new moons. Say to them: "It is one aspect of the varying appearances of the moon according to the extent of its luminosity indicating the point and passage of time in which the sequence of events take place in the material universe, and for estimating the point of time when AL-Hajj to Allah’s Sacred House is performed." You people must realize that it is not in conformity with conduct to the divine and moral law nor with righteous living that you irrationally enter the houses from the back doors, this is an irreligious notion*. It confers with divine and moral law to enter the houses from the front doors. And see that you lift to Allah your inward sight so that heaven may prosper you

[190] And make the heart of your purpose to fight those who wage war against you in Allah’s cause, but do not initiate transgression; Allah dislikes those who go beyond the limits prescribed by Him

[191] Kill them wherever you find them, and put them to death, and drive them out; since persecution for creed or opinion is worse than murder. But do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they attack you there and if they do, then kill them, for such action receives invites commensurate consequences; the punishment of those who deny faith

[192] But if they discontinue hostilities and conform their will to Allah's, then they shall find that Allah is indeed Ghafurun, and Rahimun

[193] And fight them until persecution ends and agreement is reached and Allah's system of faith prevails, recognizing Allah and His control of destiny, His rightful claim to obedience, reverence and worship. Therefore, if they cease their hostilities and conform their will to Allah's will, then restrict your hostilities only to the oppressors

[194] If they fight you during a sacred month, then retaliate during the sacred month, and breaking the solemn observances permits reciprocity. And if they transgress against you and break Allah's command, then lay their transgression to their charge and trespass against them to the same extent and revere Allah, and realize that He upholds those who restrain themselves in reverence to Him

[195] And let reverence move you to spend in Allah’s cause and do not cast yourselves into ruin with your own hands, and imprint your deeds with wisdom and piety, for Allah likes those who perfect their illustrious toils and turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence

[196] And complete the rites of the pilgrimage and of the Umra ( minor pilgrimage) if you had started them unless your course has been obstructed by your enemies or you have fallen sick . Under the circumstances, you shall present whatever offering you can get with ease as a complement of your journey of devotion to Allah. And do not shave your heads or shorten your hair before the offering has reached its destination (the Sacred Mosque) and has been sacrificed and distributed among the poor. But in the web of these circumstances, the sacrifice is made where you are. And he who is sick or suffers an ailment of his scalp is absolved to change the order of succession; he may shave his head or shorten his hair before, providing he makes reparation for it; he may fast for three days (in the usual manner from the break of dawn till sunset) or feed six indigent persons or sacrifice an offering and distribute it among the poor. But under peaceful conditions, he who makes the minor pilgrimage (Umra) and wishes with contentment to remain in the holy precincts onward till pilgrimage, shall be obliged to present an offering such as he can afford. But if he cannot find the suitable object to offer or he does not have the means, then he shall fast three days while in Maccah and seven days on returning home, summing ten days in all. This is a duty incumbent only on him whose family does not reside within the environs of the ka'ba (Sacred Mosque). And regard Allah with veneration and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him and do realize that Allah punishes severely

[197] The rites of the Hajj are observed during certain fixed, known months ending in the primary devotion of the first ten days of Zu AL-Hijja when Hajj to Ka’ba is made and chief rites are commonly observed. Therefore, he who takes upon himself to make Hajj, whether throughout the whole period or only at the end part of it, shall not engage in worldly matters until all religious devotional rites have been performed. No sexual congress, indecencies, nor wrangling are permitted during AL-Hajj, and whatever good deed you do shall come to Allah's knowledge. And fit out yourselves with what is necessary for the purpose, but the best provision indeed is piety, and revere Me, O you people of understanding

[198] You are absolved to trade for livelihood betaking yourselves to Providence for His bounty. And when you throng back from Mount 'Arafat then praise Allah thankfully at the Sacred Mount –Muzdalifa- and thankfully extoll His glorious attributes for steering you to the path of righteousness although initially you were lost in the maze of error

[199] And you people who fall short of performing AL- Hajj, of observing the final rites at Mount Muzdalifa instead of Mount 'Arafat through selfish motives, it is mandatory that you pour down from Mount 'Arafat from where people go the pace to spare the inconvenience, and invoke Allah's forgiveness; Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun indeed

[200] And when you have concluded your religious devotions and rites of AL- hajj, then praise Allah and extol His glorious attributes as you customarily praised your forefathers in pagan times, but Allah’s praises and glorious attributes should be extolled from one’s heart and innermost being. Nonetheless, among people are those whose thoughts are set upon the mundane of this world; they invoke Allah to bestow upon them life’s comforts to satisfy their enjoyment and content, and consequently never shall such persons have a share in the Hereafter

[201] There are also others whose thoughts are upon both this world and the world to come. They invoke Allah to bestow upon them His efficacious grace here and Hereafter and to save their bodies and minds from suffering inflicted by the Fire

[202] Such persons shall be apportioned the reward they merit for their deeds. Allah is swift indeed in executing the law

[203] And exercise your minds in devotion and in meditation on three specific days following the conclusion of AL-Hajj when AL-Shaytan is pelted with stones in the valley of Mina. As this is optional, you incur no blame if you should leave Macca two days before or after the due date if you sincerely venerate Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him and faithfully realize that to Him shall you be thronged

[204] Among people there exists he who attracts you, drawing your interest and affection, and he conveys virtues of nature and to this end Allah is his witness, while in reality he is the worst adversary seeking to obtain his own end

[205] When he turns his back and leaves or if he is in a position of influence over the conduct of others, he aims to exercise inherent mischief creating discord, and thus, reduces crops and cattle to ruins, contrary to Allah’s blessed word and ordinance Who detests physical and moral mischief

[206] When he is told to revere Allah, he exaggerates displaying inordinate self confidence and is proud of inequity. This is he who best deserves malignancy and the abode in Hell, and how evil is the destination

[207] Among people there is he who would gladly disavow the world in the cause of Allah, Who is the core of his purpose and the source of goodness, sympathy and kindness to His servants

[208] O you people whose hearts truly believe, enter into friendly relations with one another and promote Allah’s requirement of peace and virtuous order and do not follow AL-Shaytan’s footsteps nor walk in the footsteps of those with AL- Shaytan’s characteristics; he is indeed your avowed enemy

[209] And should you fall away from faith and practice or retreat into error after being guided into illumination and mental enlightenment, then you must realize that Allah is Azizun ( Almighty), and Hakimun (wisdom is one of His attributes) indeed

[210] Do the unbelievers intend to wait until they distinctly perceive Allah and His angels descending, shaded under a canopy of clouds before they would conform to His blessed will? But when this matter comes to pass, the final Judgement will have been pronounced. To Him, the Ultimate Authority, all affairs, considered for decision, are submitted and executed here and in the Hereafter

[211] Ask Bani Isra‘il, how many clear signs We imparted to them, signs guiding out of want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and mental enlightenment! And he who distorts divine favour conferred upon him shall realize that Allah punishes severely

[212] Life here has eluded the eyes and minds of those who embrace their irreverent conviction and speak in derision of the believers. But those who revere Allah shall be above them on the Day of Resurrection, distinguished with eminence. Allah provides livelihood and merits whom He will with the necessary means without measure

[213] Mankind was a single ‘Ummah (Nation) of common descent occupying a definite territory. By natural generation, numbers multiplied and were scattered in various directions and became disunited emotionally and mentally. There and then Allah sent Prophets as a spectacle and warning to all. He equipped them with the Book of Truth guiding into all truth in order to judge between people regarding issues of reason. Yet those who disputed its precepts were the same who were given the Book (Ahl Al-Kitab) imparting enough signs guiding them into illumination and mental enlightenment. But they were no longer disposed to the truth due to their mutual enmity and malignant intention. Nonetheless, Allah will guide the truth-seeking believers to His path. Allah guides whom He will to the path of righteousness

[214] Or did you people who conformed to Islam think you would qualify to reside in Paradise before enduring hardship and trials determining your real qualities of endurance and inclination, trials similar to your predecessors’ subjection! They were so stricken by misfortunes and calamities that they trembled and quaked in fear to the point that the Prophet himself and those in his line expressed their thoughts: "When shall Allah’s promised victory come to pass?" Allah’s assistance is indeed near; He is the relief for such persons when in trouble

[215] They ask you, O Muhammad, what they should spend and to whose benefit. Say to them: spend in benevolence of whatever you righteously earned and regard the prior claims of family ties naturally owed to parents and kin and out of humanitarian duty owed to orphans and the needy and to those lacking means of transportation and journey on foot. And whatever divine deed you do shall come to Allah’s awareness

[216] O you Muslims: as much as you dislike fighting, it is nonetheless, a prescriptive rule decreed as duty and moral obligation to defend your faith and to repel your enemy. It may happen that you dislike something and it proves beneficial to you and it may also happen that you like something and it proves harmful to you; Allah is Alimun but you are not

[217] They call upon you, O Muhammad, for information and a reply relative to the question of fighting during the Sacred Month. Say to them: "Fighting during the Sacred Month is a grave offence and obstruction to Allah’s spirit of truth guiding people into all truth and an emphatic denial of the Sacred Mosque and the month's sanctity. And expulsion of Allah’s devotees from whence is a major offence to Allah and persecution for creed or opinion is worse than murder. The idolaters will continue to fight you until they succeed in forcing you to renounce your religion if they can. And he who turns renegade among you and dies captivated in disbelief and such persons shall be inherent losers; their hope shall be disappointed and their deeds shall be worthless here and Hereafter; it is these who shall be claimed by Hell and therein shall they remain forever

[218] Those who truly believed in Allah to the extent that they quit their homes and towns to settle where they could best serve Allah’s purpose and strive in His cause, justly expect Allah’s mercy and blessings, and Allah is -Ghafurun and Rahimun. Two questions arise, one concerning intoxicants and gambling, the answer of which is partly given below and partly in chapters Four and Five according to relevancy. The other question concerns spending money benevolently and the answer here relates to the amount and the degree

[219] They ask you, O Muhammad, about intoxicants and gambling. Say to them: "They both involve a major sin as well as some advantages, but their evil outweighs their advantages." And they ask you how to spend in benevolence! Say to them: "Spend in benevolence and benefaction of what you can spare in excess of your actual requirements." Thus, Allah elucidates to you people His revelations and ordinances that you may hopefully consider the consequences

[220] They contemplate their awareness of life here and in the Hereafter. and they call upon you, O Muhammad, to inform them about Islam and its position on orphans. Say to them: "Put an end to abuses and disorder and adopt the right course of reformation, it is better for them, and if you reverently commune and conduct interchanges, they are your brothers in faith. Allah knows well the one who is playfully malicious and the one who faithfully seeks reform. Had Allah willed, He would have afflicted you with difficulties; Allah is Azizun (Almighty) and Hakimun

[221] Do not join idolaters in wedlock before they believe in Allah, their Creator, with true faith. Indeed, a slave who believes in Allah is far better than an idolater even if adorned with qualities attracting your love; nor should you allow your women to join idolaters in wedlock before believing in Allah with spiritual faith; indeed, a slave who believes in Allah is far better than an idolater even if adorned with qualities attracting your love. These idolaters influence your actions and deeds and you will end in the Fire, whereas Allah graciously attracts you to settle in His Paradise, and enjoy His forgiveness. Allah explicates to people His revelations that they may hopefully open their minds’ eyes

[222] They ask you, O Muhammad, for information relative to women's menstruation and whether sexual congress is permissible in its duration. Say to them: "It is an unwholesome phase in the woman's menstrual cycle fraught with systemic changes including personality alteration and a general decrease in resistance to disease. Therefore, leave women alone during menstruation and do not approach them until they are clear of it and have cleansed. When once they are ritually conditioned, you may feel free to approach them in the manner Allah has ordained. Allah likes those who in lowliest plight repentant stand and those who free themselves of physical, moral and spiritual defilement

[223] Your wives are where you cultivate your crop of posterity; they are your field wherein you cultivate mutual affection and emotion directed to attaining pleasure or satisfaction, therefore, till your tilth virtuously as you will and advance piety toward future security and revere Allah. And realise that you are destined to be in His August Presence Hereafter, and announce blissful tidings, O Muhammad, to those touched by the divine hand

[224] And do not abuse Allah’s Eternal Name in acts of swearing when referring to Allah in binding you to a false statement or an act or in refusing to make peace. Make reparations for your oath and correct the incorrect so that reputations are maintained and piety is credited for the sake of reverence and the ability to create peace among people, and your affirmation is as sacred as an oath. Revere Allah; Who is Sami’un (Omnipresent with unlimited audition) and 'Alimun

[225] Allah excuses you for oaths in which the guilt does not reside in the intention, but He holds you responsible for oaths with guilty intention and Allah is, Ghafurun and Hakimun (Forbearing toward His creatures)

[226] And those of you who make an oath to abstain from approaching your wives must not exceed four months. Should they reconcile with their own hearts and with Allah thereby resuming their normal relationship, they shall find Allah Ghafurun and Rahimun

[227] However, if they should decide to divorce, Allah is Sami‘un (Omnipresent with unlimited audition) and 'Alimun

[228] Divorced women shall remain for three months, or menstrual cycles, in order to regard their condition. They are not absolved to hide Allah’s creation in their wombs if they are true believers. There and then their husbands shall have prior entitlement to reclaiming them and resuming marital life if both agree to reconciliation. And women have as many rights as equal obligations, and men are a step higher than they are in the scope of responsibility, and Allah is Azizun and Hakimun

[229] Divorce is permissible only twice, if each time both parties think they can reconcile with their hearts and with Allah. There and then they shall have to hold together in equity or else part in kindness. But if you decide on divorce, then you are forbidden to reclaim what you gave them of dower or gifts unless you fear obstinacy against Allah’s ordinances, then you are absolved if she wishes to buy her freedom. These are the limitations imposed by Allah, and those who transgress them are wrongful

[230] If he happens to divorce her and reclaim her twice and then divorces her again a third time, then he has no right to reclaim her in wedlock, that is if they both are so inclined, before joining another man in wedlock. If the second husband willingly divorces her, then and only then, are they absolved to reunite in wedlock if they both believe they are able to honour the limitations imposed by Allah. These are the limitations imposed by Allah; He clearly explicates them to those who reflect

[231] When you have divorced women and they have fulfilled their determined period of waiting for three months and both of you are willing to reconcile, then you either reclaim them in equity and honour or free them in equity and honour. Do not reclaim them for a selfish end or spite them and he who acts in this manner will wrong himself. And do not mock Allah’s revelations and statutes, and render solemn acknowledgement of Allah’s divine favour conferred upon you and revere the Book He sent down to you and the knowledge and wisdom He imparted to you to caution you to commendable conduct, and revere Allah, and realise that Allah is 'Alimun of all

[232] And when you have divorced women and they have fulfilled their determined period of waiting, do not restrain them, O you who have influence, from reuniting with their separated husbands in wedlock if the women wish to reconcile their quarrel in equity and honour. This is an appeal incumbent on those who believe in Allah and in the Last Day with truly faithful hearts. This imparts sanctity to you and you become pious, for Allah is 'Alimun whereas you are not

[233] Mothers who have given birth shall suckle their babies for a period of two years if deemed necessary to complete the course of breast-feeding. It is incumbent on the child’s father, whether normally married or in the process of a divorce to provide both mother and infant with the means of subsistence and life’s necessities and provide them with clothing according to his means, in equity and honour. No soul is charged with spending except within the means. Nor should a mother or father suffer on account of their child. And in the case of the father’s death, the heir shall be charged with the same responsibility. If both parents wish to interrupt breast-feeding in the infant’s interest and decide to wean, they may do so. If it be deemed necessary to engage a wet nurse to breast-feed the child, you may do so on the condition that the mother or the wet nurse are not denied their due. revere Allah and realise that Allah is Bassirun, He sees all you do

[234] And in the event of a husband’s death, bereaved widows shall wait for a determined period of four months and ten days without any expectation other than the possibility of pregnancy, inevitably shaping the course of events. When the determined period of waiting has expired, those of you of influence are absolved of their inclinations as long as they are equitably and honourably disposed, and Allah is Khabirun (Omniscient) of all you do

[235] You men incur no consequence if, at this time, you ethically and indirectly advance your marriage offer for consideration, or if you only entertain the idea or cling to hope. Allah knows well that attraction to women is natural to you and that you think about them. But do not secretly propose to them during this determined period, but you may hold honourable conversation with them. Nor can you enter into a marriage contract until the determined period has been fulfilled. You ought to realise that Allah knows what is hidden in your innermost being, therefore, beware of Him and be cautious and realise that He is Ghafurun and Halimun (Indulgent and Forbearing)

[236] You incur no blame if you divorce women before consummating the marriage and before deciding on dower's payment or its amount. But in order to do equity and justice you shall compensate them for disappointing their expectations; the wealthy, according to his means and the restrained, within his means, an expression of good will affording pleasure. This is a duty incumbent on those whose deeds are wise and pious

[237] And if you divorce them before consummating marriage but after already deciding on the dower’s amount, then they are entitled to half the determined amount unless they themselves, or their representatives, grant remission of the due amount. And to grant remission is nearer to piety. Do not forget to exercise good will among each other and to commit generosity, for the actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts. Allah is Bassirun, He sees all you do

[238] Observe your duty to Allah and maintain the prescribed prayers, especially AL-‘Asr, the afternoon prayer, and humble yourselves to Allah and exercise unqualified obedience to Him

[239] And if you experience uneasiness caused by danger, you may perform your prayers on foot while walking or riding. But when normal conditions resume and safety prevails, then perform your prayers in the manner instructed by Allah Who made known to you what you never knew

[240] Those of you who feel death approaching shall bequeath to their wives the means of sustenance for a period of one year, and in case of sudden death the heir is charged with the same responsibility. In either case, the widow shall remain in his residence for the same period of one year. But should the widows choose to change their residence voluntarily after fulfilling the determined period of four months and ten days, then you incur no consequence for what they do with themselves as long as they are equitably and honourably disposed; Allah is Azizun and Hakimun

[241] And women who have been judicially separated from their husbands whether before or after consummation of marriage are also entitled to a reasonable endowment as separate maintenance, a gesture to those whose expectation they disappointed. This is a duty incumbent on those who do equity, reverence and justice and exhibit veneration for Allah

[242] Thus, Allah explicates to you people His revelations that you may hopefully reflect

[243] Have you not seen, O Muhammad, into the event of those who fled their dwellings by the thousands in the face of hostility from the enemy of faith in fear of death? Consequently, Allah pronounced them dead and their hopes died as well. Then in mercy He revived their hopes and infused renewed life into them. Indeed, Allah’s efficacious grace abounds in people but most of them show no gratitude nor do their hearts surge, responding thankfully

[244] Therefore, fight in Allah’s cause and make it the core of your purpose, and realise that Allah is Sami‘un and 'Alimun

[245] Who would like to lend Allah all the benevolence and pious deeds he can toward future security and Allah shall reimburse him multi-fold! Allah is He Who reduces to poverty causing want, and He also brings abundance and supplying want, and back to Him shall all of you return

[246] Have you not seen, O Muhammad, into the discourse held by Bani Isra‘il’s chiefs with a prophet of their own sent to them after Mussa’s death? They said to him: "Nominate a king under whose power we can unite and fight in Allah’s cause." The Prophet said to them: "What if he is appointed and fighting is ordained and you refuse to fight?" They said: "But why should we not fight in Allah’s cause when we and our children have been expelled from our homes?" But when fighting was ordained they retracted their word and their true irreverent spirit betrayed them to their fall excepting a few; but Allah is wholly aware of the wrongful

[247] Their prophet then said to them: "Now Allah appointed Talut (Saul) as your king." But they said: "How can he be given sovereignty over us when we claim priority in birth, rank and dignity and he is not as endowed with possessions and advantages!" Their prophet said: "Allah has chosen him to reign over you and has imparted to him a wealth of knowledge and privileged him with a distinguished stature, and Allah delegates His Authority to whom He will. Allah is Wasi‘un (Omnipresent) and 'Alimun

[248] Their prophet then said to them: "His delegated Authority is evidenced in the reclamation of the Ark of the Covenant, once lost to the enemy, carried by the angels with security provided by Allah, your Creator, and comprising of the relics abandoned by Mussa’s family and Harun’s family." "This incident," he added, "surely represents convincing divine evidence of Allah’s delegated Authority to Talut, which should be acceptable to you if indeed you are true believers

[249] And when Talut advanced his troops and traversed some distance by marching, they came across a river. There and then said Talut to his troops: "Allah has preordained that you be tested now for inclination, sincerity and endurance, therefore, he who drinks of the river to satisfy his thirst shall be discharged from my forces, but he who does not drink shall join my forces, but excused is he who takes only a few sips from the palm of one hand. Yet they all satisfied their thirst except for a few. And when Talut crossed the river with those who exercised unqualified obedience to commands, they wrere confronted by Jalut (Goliath) and his superior forces whom they feared. They said: "On this day we are not a match for Jalut and his forces. But those who marched under the banner, believers touched by the divine hand, who believe they would be destined to be in Allah, the Creator’s, August Presence Hereafter, ventured to say: "How often, Allah willing, has a small force submitted a superior force?" Allah upholds the patient and persevering

[250] When they faced Jalut and his forces they prayed: "inspire us, O Allah, our Creator, to be justly confident and enduring and inspire our courage and help us make our steps firm, and bring victory and fortune to us so that we reduce those who deny You to ruin

[251] And so, they routed Jalut’s forces as Allah willed, and Dawud (David), then, a poor shepherd and unarmed youth) slew Jalut, and by His grace, Allah conferred authority, sovereignty and wisdom upon him and imparted upon him the knowledge He willed. And if Allah did not repress some people through others, indeed, the world would be full of mischief, but Allah’s grace abounds in the universe

[252] These are Allah’s revelations, We relate them to you, O Muhammad, in truth, for you are one of the Prophets

[253] We endowed such Prophets with privileges, some more than others. Among them was one spoken to by Allah, and He evaluated some a degree higher in rank. And We sent ‘Isa, son of Maryam, with clear revelations and signs guiding out of darkness and superstition of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and mental enlightenment, and We supported him giving him countenance by the Holy Spirit, Jibril. And had Allah willed, never would have their successors fought against each other, especially after receiving intellectual enlightenment and mental illumination. But they were at variance in a state of discord and enmity, some recognising Allah and obeying His statutes and others denying Him or rejecting His ordinances and decrees. And had Allah willed they would not have warred against each other, but Allah does and enacts what He will

[254] O you whose hearts truly believe, spend benevolently and with benefaction in Allah’s cause before the Day arrives when no buying nor selling shall be effected. Nor shall friendship alleviate him, whoever he may be, nor shall anyone be permitted to intercede on behalf of another, and Allah’s deniers shall be the wrongful

[255] Allah, there is no Ilah but He, The Eternal, the Absolute, Purveyor of sustenance for all, and AL-Qayum (Omnipotent) Who preserves existence. It is not congruous with His divine nature to slumber or sleep. To Him belong all in the heavens and on earth. Who is it Who can intercede on behalf of another in His August Presence but by the graceful proclamation of His permission? He knows His creatures’ experiences and the course of coming events which bridge their span and no one can comprehend anything of His knowledge nor can anything be known except as He will. His Throne, His knowledge and His dominance and command extend over the heavens and earth, whose preservation does not tire Him or worn out with fatigue, and He is above all and beyond all, He is the Unique, whose attributes belong to the highest regions of thought and reality

[256] Compulsion is incompatible with religion, therefore let there be no compulsion in religion. Now the path of righteousness has been distinguished from the path of error and holiness distinguished from vindictiveness. Therefore, he who rejects false beliefs and turns his attention to Allah with a religious mind, will have firmly grasped the eternal, unchangeable and most secure handhold which shall never separate, nor shall it suffer a break, and Allah is Sami‘un and 'Alimun

[257] Allah is the Guardian of those whose hearts truly believe spiritually. He guides them out of darkness and superstition of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual vision into illumination and mental enlightenment, whereas those who denied Allah are guided by the prince of darkness, or by those with Satanic characteristics, leading them out of light and driving them into darkness and want of spiritual and intellectual vision. Such persons shall be the inmates of Hell fire, their eternal abode

[258] Have you not seen, O Muhammad, into the discourse of the one who argued with Ibrahim against Allah, his Creator, only because he was in a position of power over the kingdom bequeathed to his sovereignty by Allah? Ibrahim said: "Allah is my Creator, He who gives life and determines the moment of death." The man said: "I as well grant life and occasion death." Then Ibrahim said: "Allah causes the sun to rise in the east, so then, cause it to rise from the west." And there the presumptuous infidel was thrown into confusion and defeat, and Allah does not guide the wrongful to His path of righteousness

[259] Or, similarly, his similitude to the one who passed by a town (AL-Quds) which was empty of life and he could see nothing but the remains of decayed and fallen buildings. Then he exclaimed: "How shall Allah restore it and revitalise it after having suffered death and total destruction?" There and then Allah occasioned his death lasting a hundred years and then brought him back to life and asked him: "How long do you think you have been in death’s repose?" The man said: "In all probability a day or even less in all." "But," said Allah, "you have been in death’s repose for a hundred years, and now look at your food and drink, none of them decomposed, and look at your donkey and see how it shattered into fragments of bones. We will make you a miraculous sign demonstrating Omnipotence and Authority. And now regard the bones and see how We construct them and clothe them in flesh." And when the man witnessed Allah’s Omnipotence and Authority, he said: "Now I realise that Allah is Qadirun over all things

[260] And Ibrahim spoke to Allah and said: "O Allah, my Creator, show me how you bring the dead back to life!" Allah said: "Do you not assent to the truth of Resurrection?" "Indeed I do," said Ibrahim, "this is not to satisfy doubts but to satisfy my reason and heart and become a better man." "Then," said Allah, "take four birds and train them to get accustomed to you. Then, "Tie them, kill them, cut them into pieces, then place each piece on a different hill, and call them to you and they shall swiftly take wing, and this should cause you to realise that Allah is indeed Azizun and Hakimun

[261] The example of those who spend of their wealth in divine service is similar to sown individual grains of corn growing seven auricles, each auricle carrying a hundred grains. And Allah thankfully reimburses multi-fold to whom He will, and Allah is Wasi‘un, His grace abounds in the universe, and He is Alimun

[262] Those who spend of their wealth in divine service and do not later remind the recipient reproachfully of past favours contributing to his mental anguish shall receive their reward in heaven, they shall have no basis for alarm nor shall fear or dread fall upon them nor shall they grieve

[263] In fact, a kind word of friendliness and forgiveness is far better than benevolence followed by reproach inducing mental anguish, and Allah is Independent, Ghaniyun (Absolute) and Halimun

[264] O you whose hearts truly believe: Do not cancel the divine reward you merit for your benevolence by the reminders of your generosity or inducing mental anguish. You are then like he who spends his wealth ostentatiously under the guise of benevolence only to attract attention and win people’s admiration while truthfully, he believes neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. His similitude is that of a rock covered with dust and fertile soil which has been exposed to torrential rain stripping it of its soil leaving it completely bare. Such persons have lost; unable to reclaim anything they had falsely earned. And Allah does not guide those who deny Him to His path of righteousness

[265] The example of those who spend their wealth in divine service acting upon inspiration and stronger volition than their own, is comparable to an orchard at a high elevation with rich subsoil. The orchard is exposed to torrential rain effecting a yield double its normal produce. And in the absence of torrential rain it catches the moisture of the early morning and the light showers drifting down the valley. And Allah is Alimun of all you do

[266] Would any of you like to have an orchard of date palms and vines, and rivers streaming beneath it providing him with diversified fruit trees, and when he advances in age and his progeny are still young or feeble, the orchard is struck by a fiery whirlwind? Thus, Allah explicates to you people His revelations and He makes His signs obvious to the senses that you may hopefully ponder

[267] O you whose hearts have been touched by the divine hand, spend of the lawful and virtuous things you have earned and of the earth’s fruits We produced for you, and do not select corrupt returns for devotion to Allah and dispose of it benevolently if you yourselves would reluctantly accept it and would shut your eyes to it if unable to help. And Allah is Independent, Ghaniyun; His grace abounds in the universe, Worthy of all Praise

[268] AL-Shaytan deceives your judgement in order to cause falsity to be accepted as true, he threatens you with poverty in consequence for spending in divine service and he portrays to you what would insidiously allure your minds’ eyes and tempt you to commit morally evil acts whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from heaven’s realm and confers upon you efficacious grace. And Allah is Wasi‘un, His grace abounds in the universe, He is Alimun

[269] Allah confers sound judgement in choosing means and ends upon whom He will and acquaints his heart and innermost being with wisdom and wise dispensations, and he who is gifted with this divine attribute, has indeed been endowed with overflowing goodness, and all grace will abound in him. But no one reflects except those with intellectual power of perception to know, remember and judge

[270] And whatever large or small amount you spend in divine service or whatever you vow to solemnly undertake, comes to Allah’s knowledge. And the wrongful shall have no guiding protectors to help them Hereafter

[271] If you perform benevolent acts openly with good will and a clean heart, it is meritorious. But if you conceal your charitable acts when you offer in benevolence to the needy, it is better for you; such acts expiate some of your wrongs by benefits, and Allah is 'Alimun of All that you do

[272] It is not your responsibility, Muhammad, to guide the strayed to the path of righteousness but it is Allah Who touches the hearts of whom He will with His divine hand opening their minds’ eyes to His path of righteousness. And whatever you spend in divine service reflects piety in your deeds and it is but an advantage to you, that is if what you spend is truly intended to fulfil your obligation to Allah and to satisfy your conscience and hearts. And whatever you spend in benevolence shall be reimbursed in your favour and you shall not be wronged

[273] Among you are those who truly deserve benefaction; they have been restrained from earning their livelihood because they participated in the war of belief against unbelief. They keep up appearances exhibiting to those unacquainted with them a happy expression and satisfaction because their modesty obstructs their tongues. You know them by their appearance speaking a different language; they do not solicit peoples’ ears for charity. And whatever you spend in divine service comes to Allah’s Knowledge

[274] Those who spend of their wealth day and night in divine service of containing their souls, whether they do it covertly or overtly shall be merited in heaven’s realm; they shall have no basis for alarm nor shall fear or dread fall upon them nor shall they grieve

[275] Those who have such a voracious appetite that they indifferently devour all they can gain from their practice of usury are both offensive and defensive with respect to mankind and they assume the demeanour of the mentally disturbed who offer themselves to al-Shaytan who debased them mentally and spiritually. That is because they allege, "Just as trade is a means of livelihood, so is usury; it is commercial dealing." But just as Allah permitted legitimate trade and consented to industry, He utterly forbade usury. Therefore, he who bows his ears in receiving admonition from Allah, his Creator, and restrains and monitors his desires and actions, may keep the gain from the past and plead his causes and Allah mercifully decides upon them. But those who relapse into this evil practice shall be the inmates of Hell eternally

[276] Allah denounces usury but repays charitable acts generously. And Allah does not like those who sinfully consent to the forbidden

[277] Those who truly believe and mark their deeds with wisdom and piety and faithfully observe their act of worship and give zakat, for zakat is but the vehicle of prayer, shall be rewarded by Heaven and no fear or dread shall fall upon them nor shall they grieve

[278] O you who have recognised Allah, revere Him and relinquish the amount owed to you in usury if your hearts are truly spiritual believers

[279] And if you do not obey this rule of righteous life commanded by religion, nor fearing for your unlawful gain, then you must expect war between belief against unbelief waged against you by Allah and His Prophet. But if you repent, grow wiser and reform then you are entitled only to the principal, the capital sum lent, so that you do not wrong others or be wronged

[280] And if the debtor experiences difficulty or is in a pecuniary situation, then give him respite until he is at ease and is able to return the debt. And if you are able to cancel the debt or a part thereof in benevolence, you shall merit the grace of Allah, if you only knew

[281] And guard yourselves from the Day when you are returned to Allah and each soul shall be requited with the commensurate to its deeds, and none shall be wronged

[282] O you with hearts touched by the divine hand, if you become involved in a debt payable at a fixed date, be it a loan, item borrowed or bought on credit or a business transaction, then commit it to writing. A scribe shall formulate an agreement or contract mediating the parties with recourse to the general principles of Allah’s justice. No scribe shall refuse to fulfil this function as Allah imparted it; he simply writes and the debtor dictates and keeps Allah in mind, and the scribe shall not decrease any of the agreed amount. Should the debtor be of unsound mind, weak, or incapable of dictating, then his guardian should dictate according to equity and good conscience. And select two of your men to be formally present as witnesses to the transaction. And if two men are unavailable, then one man and two commendable women so that later, if one errs due to a memory lapse, lack of experience or a biological factor, then the other will remind her of the correct testimony. And those who were called upon to witness the transaction and were associated with the event must not refuse when they are called in for evidence in the future. And do not be disinclined to commit the debt, small or large, to writing. Sanctioned by Allah according to judicial principles, this is recourse to a credited testimony preventing doubt. This is mandatory unless it is business involving bartered merchandise or collective management at an immediate cash rate, then you are absolved if you do not commit it to writing. But when you dispose of merchandise to a buyer for price, then such transactions must be witnessed. And neither writer nor witness should be made to suffer, for if you harm them, you commit a sin that shall be transferred to you, and revere Allah; He teaches you and shows you through information or instruction; He is 'Alimun of all in all

[283] And if you are on a journey and cannot find a writer, then place a pledge in the creditor’s possession as a guarantee of good faith. And if the debtor considers the creditor a credible person then the creditor should prove himself trustworthy and return the pledge upon receiving the debt from the debtor, also expected to be trustworthy, and either of them should keep Allah in mind and revere Him. And do not conceal, destroy, suppress or refuse to provide evidence when summoned, and he who withholds testimony is indeed morally depraved with a soiled and sinful heart. And Allah is 'Alimun of all you do

[284] To Allah belong all in the heavens and earth and realise that regardless of how you express yourself, in words or secretly in the mind and heart, all comes to Allah’s knowledge, and He shall judge you accordingly. He shall then extend mercy and forgiveness to whom He will and put to torment whom He will, and Allah is Qadirun to effect all things

[285] The Prophet strongly believes in all that has been revealed to him from Allah, his Creator. He pays credence to it and embraces it as truth personified. Similarly act the true believers who revere profoundly, they believe in Allah, His spiritual angels or attendants, His books and His Messengers. And they emphatically declare: "We do not differentiate between one Prophet and another." And they beseech Allah for forgiveness with the following prayer of invocation: "We have, O Allah, heard Your message with receptive hearts and venerated Your revelations and all enjoined, and we obey all Your statutes and ordinances You decreed. O Allah, our Creator, kindly grant Your mercy and forgiveness to us; You are the end of all destiny

[286] Allah does not charge a soul except with what it can bear; a soul shall qualify to reap the fruit it merits for its innocence and piety, and it shall pay its own debt and suffer accordingly. Therefore, beseech Him in heaven to take mercy on your souls, praying thus: "O Allah, our Creator, do not condemn us if we fail to remember, if we err innocently, if our imperfections fall short of the purpose, if we dissatisfy Your standard or neglect a duty. And present us not, O Allah, our Creator, with difficulties as the difficulties you imposed on those who came before us in consequence of their arrogance and wrongful actions." "And charge us not O Allah, our Creator, with the unbearable, pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us; You are our Protective Guardian; help us gain advantage over those who deny you

[1] (Alef), L. (Lam), M. (Meem); [The Surah opens with letters from the Arabic alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran, though written in the people's tongue, it cannot be emulated]

[2] Allah, there is no Ilah but He, the Eternal, the Absolute Purveyor of sustenance for all and AL-Qayum (Omnipotent Who preserves existence)

[3] He has revealed to you, O Muhammad, the Quran, in truth and in agreement with reality, corroborating and authoritatively validating the authentic books previously revealed, and in temporal order He revealed AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil (the Torah and the Bible)

[4] All Scriptures were revealed earlier in the spirit of truth in order to guide people into all truth yet people set themselves at variance to them. So there came the Quran that is the standard and the canon illuminating the intellect and imparting the soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends and in the choice of what is morally good, honest and straightforward. It guides into illumination and enlightenment. Therefore, those who disregard Allah’s revelations and signs that He makes obvious to the senses, shall suffer grievously. Allah is Azizun (Almighty) He justly avenges His right

[5] There is absolutely nothing that can be hidden from Allah, be it on earth or in the heavens

[6] He is it who forms you and fashions you inside the womb as He wills and determines the characteristics of your form and appearance. There is no Ilah but Him, AL-Aziz and AL-Hakim (the Wise)

[7] It is He who has revealed to you O Muhammad; the Quran with revelations that are precise and exactly defined. These constitute the essential part and the fundamental or groundwork of Allah’s system of faith and worship and unequivocal understanding and obedience from every intellectual being. Other revelations are allegorical. They describe a subject under the guise of some other comparable subject. Those with malignant and perverse hearts choose to follow only the allegories to interpret them as they please. Motivated by malice, they present the interpretation that causes dissension and includes discord when no one knows the exact interpretation but Allah. But those with well – founded knowledge, acquainted with the facts, declare their firm belief in the Quran and express their thoughts in words: "It is all disclosed by Providence." But none reflect except those with sound minds

[8] Who express their prayer of invocation: "O Allah our Creator, we beseech You not to erase piety from our hearts after You have made us true believers and guided us to the path of righteousness. O Allah, extend to us Your mercy; it is You Who gives and it is You Who bestows gratuitously

[9] You have ordained, O Allah, our Creator, that You shall assemble all people together to Your August presence on that inevitable Day. Blessed be Allah Who unfailingly fulfils His promise

[10] Neither wealth nor progeny shall be of value or advantage in Day of Judgement, to those who deny Allah. Nor shall these privileges protect them from Allah; such persons shall be the fuel feeding the fire

[11] What becomes of them compares to what had become of the people of Pharaoh and to those who preceded them who refused to recognize Our revelations and signs, evincing both Omnipotence and Authority. Consequently Allah seized them with a calamity and reduced them to a useless form in requital of their iniquities. With justness does Allah punish severely

[12] Say O Muhammad to those infidels who deny Allah: "You shall be reduced to submission here, and be banished into Hell Hereafter. and how evil is the destined habitation

[13] There is an intellectual and spiritual lesson to comprehend. Two forces met, one fighting in favour of Allah and the other against Allah. The pursuit of an end and the unwavering and positive stand merited the Muslims aid at the hands of Allah to the end that the enemy of faith was divinely induced to form witness a mirage of the Muslims portraying them to be twice as the enemy. Allah confirms whom He will and gives them supremacy and superiority and bestows victory. This is indeed an instructive example to those who have opened their minds’ eyes

[14] Prompted by instinct and charged to the finger tips with life, people allured by a passion for women, to the accumulation of masses of gold and silver, to owning pedigree horses and an abundance of cattle and fertile land. All in all, these are simply the ephemeral pleasures of life below, whereas in heaven's realm pleasures are eternal and the abode is an atmosphere of rapturous delight

[15] Say to them O Muhammad: "Shall I inform you of what excels that which allures your eyes and minds here? Paradise beneath which rivers flow is unsurpassed in beauty and supreme bliss, destined to those who revere Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him. They will have passed through nature to Eternity companioned by mates of their design, pure and holy, fellows of their piety. Above all they come in Allah’s grace and they win His satisfaction and esteem. Allah is Vigilant. He keeps a watchful eye upon His creation and upon the way people conduct themselves in life; He knows the attributes inherent in each and all

[16] He knows and spiritually sustains those whose hearts have been touched by the divine hand, who are vested with the cardinal virtues, expressing their thoughts in words to pray Allah for forgiveness. Thus, they say: "O Allah, our Creator, our hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, we pray and beseech You to forgive our iniquities and ensure our immunity from the fire

[17] It is they who are patient and unwearied in the face of difficulties, who habitually tell the truth with their words and their deeds. It is they who are obedient and submissive to the will of Allah, who are charitable in divine service and the devout who pray to Allah and beseech His forgiveness far into the night and before the day dawns

[18] Allah’s unique creation corroborates His statement that there is no Ilah but Him and to this effect, the angels and the knowledgeable attest. He exercises His authority and power in maintenance and vindication of right by reward or punishment. There is no Ilah but Him, AL-Aziz and AL-Hakim

[19] The religion, the system of faith and worship, commended by Allah is Islam or the recognition on the part of man of Allah’s Omnipotence and Authority and His power to control destiny besides acceptance of this feeling as a standard of spiritual and practical life. Yet not until they had received the divine discourse and intellectual acquaintance of the truth did Ahl al-Kitab fall into dispute and become divided through mutual envy and ill intention. He who disregards Allah’s revelations and visible signs shall find that Allah is indeed swift in putting the law in execution

[20] Should Ahl al-Kitab argue with you, O Muhammad, and maintain their irreverent position by adducing their unfounded reasons, then say to them: "I have vowed to resign myself to Allah’s purpose and I have conformed my will and my reason to His blessed will. So have those who fell into line with me." Say to them and to the illiterates: "Are you now satisfied with what you heard and have your doubts been satisfied? If you are, then conform to Islam". If they do, then they are on the path of righteousness, but should they turn a deaf ear and their hearts cannot hear the truth, you are only responsible for relating the message. Allah keeps a watchful eye upon His creation and upon the way people conduct themselves in life and He knows the attributes inherent in each and all

[21] Indeed those who disregard Allah’s revelations and visible signs and in defiance of Allah wrongfully kill His Prophets and those who enjoin righteousness, they shall be miserably disappointed of their expectations. Announce to them, O Muhammad, the coming of a grievous punishment

[22] These are they whose deeds and moral actions shall come to be devoid of value here and Hereafter, and no one shall afford them help

[23] Have you not seen, O Muhammad, the disposition of those who had their share of the Book and divine knowledge, how evasive they are! When the Quran is chosen as the arbiter in a dispute to settle all matters of difference, some of them pay no attention

[24] They imagine falsely and then exclaim: "Fire will not touch us but for a certain number of days." They attribute this forgery to their religion, and consequently deceived their own mind's eyes

[25] So how will they react when We assemble them on the inevitable Day when each soul shall be requited with what is commensurate with its deeds and they shall not be wronged

[26] Advance the glory of Allah and extol and magnify Him with praise. O Prophet exclaim: "Allah Who has the absolute Sovereign Authority over the universe with all its realms, You confer sovereignty on whom You will and You divest it from whom You will. You ennoble whom You will and You humiliate whom You will. On the helm of Your hand rests goodness. You are Qadirun (Omnipotent) wholly capable of doing all things

[27] You cause the night to lose itself by absorption into the day and You cause the day to lose itself by absorption into the night, irrespective of the nature of the solar day, civil day or the period of the year. You cause the living to ascend from the dead* and You cause the dead to fall from life. You provide livelihood and You fit out meritoriously whom You will with what You will and with what is necessary for a certain purpose

[28] Belief is incompatible with Disbelief, therefore let those whose hearts have been touched by the divine hand refrain from favouring those infidels who deny Allah over their companions in religion. He who follows this irreverent course of action, Allah shall renounce, except under compelling circumstances, then exercise caution beforehand to provide against their mischief. Allah cautions you not to come within the measure of His wrath. Allah is the end and purpose for which all are destined

[29] Say to them: "Whether you conceal your thoughts and feelings and what your hearts forge, or you express them loudly or under your breath, all comes to Allah’s knowledge and He knows all that is in the heavens and on earth. He is Qadirun over all things

[30] The day shall come when every soul shall be presented in the August presence with a vivid picture of the deeds imprinted in life with wisdom and piety, and with a written description of the evil that was wrought by want of thought, from which evil, the soul shall wish it was as far from as the earth's distant ends. Allah cautions you not to come within the measure of His wrath. Allah is the source of goodness, sympathy and kindness to His servants

[31] Say to them all, O Muhammad: "If you people truly entertain a great love for Allah and you look upon Him as the heart of your purpose, then follow me. Then Allah shall confer on you His grace and blessings, and find forgiveness for your iniquities. Allah is Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun

[32] Say to them: "Be obedient to Allah and to His Messenger, but if they turn a deaf ear then they must realize that Allah detests the infidels who deny Him

[33] Allah has taken by preference Adam and Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim and the family of ‘Imran out of all people and conferred on them the prerogative of Prophethood

[34] A posterity that descended one from the other. Allah is Sami’un (All Hearing) and 'Alimun (Omniscient)

[35] Once when the wife of ‘Imran became aware that a child whom she thought was a male had been created in her womb, she made a solemn and humble request to Allah to accept her offering. She prayed: "O Allah, my Creator, I have solemnly consecrated to You the child in my womb who shall be disposed exclusively to Your special service, and here do I beseech You to accept my offering. You are AL-Sami’ and AL-'Alim

[36] When she gave birth to the child, she was astonished, even though Allah already knew well what she had brought forth, she said: "O Allah, my Creator, I am delivered of a female. I have called her Maryam and here do I commit her and her progeny to You to protect them from AL-Shaytan and those with characteristics befitting him, the accursed and the outcast

[37] The offering was met with a favourable reception and Allah, her Creator, received her with favour and under His tutelage she grew in grace and piety. She grew to a place of incomparable honour and Zakariya (Zakariah) fostered her. Every time Zakariya entered into her chamber in the Temple, he found her well provisioned. He asked: "O Maryam, from which source do you get this unprecedented provision?" "It is from Allah", she said, "Indeed Allah provides livelihood and fits out meritoriously whom He will with what He will and with what he deems necessary for a certain purpose

[38] There and then did Zakariya pray and beseech Allah, his Creator; he said: "O Allah, my Creator, may I make a humble request to You to bestow on me from Your grace a pious posterity, You are AL-Sami’ so You hear the prayer

[39] His prayer was met with quite an unexpected and most favourable divine response. The angels addressed him while he was at his devotions, performing his prayer in the Temple. "O Zakariya," they said, "Here we relate to you a divine edict. Allah intimates to you the announcement of a happy event; the arrival of a male child to be called Yahya (John). His birth shall verify that a word from Allah is all that it takes for anything material or immaterial to be and to have a place in the realm of fact. He will be a son who shall be great and illustrious, spiritually attached to Allah and a virtuous Prophet whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[40] Zakariya vented his surprise in an exclamation, he asked: "O Allah, my Creator, how shall I have a son when I have been carried through the stealing steps of age to advanced life and my wife has always been barren?" He was told, "Thus does Allah accomplish what He will

[41] Zakariya added: "May I be given, O Allah, my Creator, a sign that would satisfy my reason." He was told "What serves to indicate the fact shall be your inability to talk to people for three days. You shall be able to communicate with them only by making signs. Meanwhile praise Allah frequently and glorify Him and extol His glorious attributes in the evening and in the early morning

[42] The angels addressed Maryam. They said "O Maryam, Allah has chosen you for an unexpected event. You are so pure that He has taken you by preference out of all the women of all nations

[43] O Maryam, be obedient and submissive to the will of Allah and bow to the ground in reverence and prostrate your reason to divine revelation and kneel with those who kneel to do homage and honour to Almighty Allah

[44] This narrative which we relate to you, O Muhammad, represents some of the true events you did not know nor did you comprehend by sight. You were not present at their meeting when they cast lots using their quills and arrows to see which of them would be the foster father to Maryam. Nor were you present when they quarrelled about the point in question

[45] The angels said to Maryam: "O Maryam here we relate to you a divine edict. Allah intimates to you the announcement of a happy event, the arrival of a male child, the product of a word from Him, designated the Messiah ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, who shall be distinguished here and Hereafter and of those nearest to Allah

[46] He shall speak to people in his cradle and in manhood, and he shall be one of those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[47] Maryam asked : "How shall I have a son, O Allah, my Creator, when no man has touched me? She was told: "Thus does Allah create what He will; when He decrees a thing He only says ‘Be’ and it is

[48] He shall teach him the Book of Knowledge and Wisdom and He shall teach him AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil

[49] He shall be a Messenger to Bani Isra‘il, conveying acts of miraculous nature serving to demonstrate his delegated divine power and authority to influence their conduct and their actions. He shall be instructed to say to them "I have brought you an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. I shall create for you from clay the figure of a bird and bring it to life and there it shall be a living bird by Allah’s command. I shall restore the sight of the man who is congenitally blind and heal the leper, and with delegated divine authority I shall raise the dead by Allah’s command. I shall also inform you of what you eat and of what you store in reserve in your homes. This should be enough divine evidence to bring you to acknowledge the truth of my mission if indeed your hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[50] And to bring matters to completion-, "It shall be my duty to Allah to corroborate your faith in AL-Tawrah which is set before me and to make lawful to you some of what was forbidden before". "Now, I have come to you with convincing divine evidence which exacts your reverence for Allah and obedience to me

[51] Allah is certainly my Creator; and your Creator. He exacts your obedience and your reverence and veneration by appropriate acts and rites; this is the course of action which constitutes the path of righteousness

[52] But when ‘Isa could sense that disbelief was a very prevalent inclination among them, he asked: "Who will support me in the cause of Allah?" We are supporters of the cause of Allah, said the disciples, "We have believed in Allah to the point that our hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues. We hold you as a witness to our conformity to Islam, the will of Allah

[53] And to strengthen their purpose, they prayed: "O Allah, our Creator, we recognize all that You have revealed and we have fallen in line with the Messenger. O Allah, our Creator incorporate us with those who bear witness to the truth and to the glory of Your system of faith and worship

[54] And the unbelievers among Ahl al-Kitab with cleverness had recourse to stratagem yet in His plan, Allah also had recourse to stratagem, and who can gain advantage on Allah

[55] There and then said Allah to ‘Isa, "O ‘Isa, I am ordaining that you depart from this life. I am taking you up to My August presence and ridding you of the troublesome blasphemers among your contemporaries and out of harm's way. I am raising those who recognized your mission and accepted your apostleship to higher ranks and exalting them in dignity and power above those who denied you till the Day of Resurrection when to Me shall all of you return. Then I will judge between you on the strained points of dispute upon which the whole unreasoning turned

[56] There and then I shall put to the torment those who did not believe in the truths of religion as contained in Allah’s authentic and authoritative Books; who did not justify faith as a conviction operative on their character and will, nor did they have spiritual apprehension of divine truths; they shall suffer a condign punishment here and Hereafter, and no one shall afford them help

[57] But those who justified faith as a conviction operative on their character and will and whose hearts had been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and whose deeds impressed with wisdom and piety, shall Allah reward them with what is generously commensurate with their pious deeds. Allah detests those who are wrongful of actions

[58] Such discourse as We have narrated to you, O Muhammad, is a disclosure of facts and revelations streaming from the Fountainhead the Quran, the sublime source of all manner of wisdom

[59] The example of ‘Isa, as determined by Allah, stood in exact similitude with that of Adam whom He created of dust then ordained that he "Be" and so he was

[60] This is the absolute truth, declared in words by Allah, your Creator, therefore, do not let their intentional assertion of what is false make you doubtful and anxious

[61] Should any one contend with you about ‘Isa with opposing arguments, the fact shall destroy the fiction. Now that you know the facts, say to them "Come, let us summon our sons and your sons, our women and your women and ourselves and yourselves and pray Allah and beseech Him to accurse those who intentionally assert falsehood

[62] This narrative is indeed the true story, and emphatically, there is no Ilah but Allah and indeed Allah is He who has always been and forever shall be AL- Aziz and AL-Hakim

[63] Should they still turn a deaf ear, rest assured, O Muhammad, that Allah is fully aware of those who are characterized with malice

[64] Say to them: “O you Ahl al-Kitab, let us come to terms to agree among ourselves that we venerate and worship no one but Allah and that we shall not incorporate with Him other deities. Nor shall any of us take another for a godhead or a tutelary guardian besides Allah." If they turn a deaf ear and insist upon hugging their irreverent conviction to their hearts, then say to them: "Do then bear witness that we conform our will to Allah’s blessed will, and this reflects conformity to Islam

[65] Say to them: "O you Ahl al-Kitab, why continue with arguments to your life’s end about Ibrahim (Abraham) and whether he was a Jew or a Christian? You know that both AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil were not revealed till a point of time far distant and long after his time. Can you not see that

[66] There, you continued with arguments about your system of faith and of the mission of ‘Isa, son of Maryam. Why bring forward reasons in support of or against a matter of which you have empty knowledge? Allah is 'Alimun whereas you are not

[67] Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian but an Orthodox Muslim. He never incorporated with Allah other deities

[68] Indeed those who best deserve a rightful claim to spiritual affinity to Ibrahim are those who followed his system of faith and worship, inclusive of this Prophet –Muhammad– and those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand. Allah is the Tutelary Guardian of those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[69] Some among Ahl al-Kitab wish they could lead you people astray, when in point of fact they alienate themselves from Allah’s purpose and path of righteousness but they fail to perceive that their imagination is often at war with reason and fact

[70] O you Ahl al-Kitab, why do you always deny Allah’s revelations and visible signs when you yourselves bear witness to their truth and verity

[71] O you Ahl al-Kitab, why do you always confuse the truth with falsehood and mix it up in the minds of the people and intentionally conceal the truth when you admit it into your minds

[72] In their malice, did some among Ahl al-Kitab incite their fellow religionists to pretend at the beginning of the day that they give credence to what has been revealed to you Muslims. Then at the end of the day they repudiated it as if it were a second thought, expecting that those who are unsettled in allegiance or belief among you may hopefully reject it all

[73] They caution their people against you and express their thoughts in words. "Do not trust any one," they say, "except those who follow the same law." Say to them, O Muhammad: "Indeed the only law consented to by Allah is the law based on the course steered by Allah; the only course leading to the path of righteousness where Providence is the guide." They caution their people against discoursing you Muslims on divine matters lest you use this knowledge to claim a Book and a Prophet of your own or that you may use the part of it which is against their interest and confound them before Allah, your Creator when all assemble in His Venerable and revered Majestic presence. Say to them, O Muhammad "grace rests in the hands of Allah. He confers it on whom He will and Allah is Wasi’un(Omnipresent) and 'Alimun

[74] He extends His mercy to whom He will and He is the source of sufficient grace which abounds in whom He will and of the efficacious grace which effects the end for which it is given

[75] Among Ahl al-Kitab there is he whom you can entrust with a cental of gold and he would return it to you on demand. Also among them is he who if entrusted with one single dinar, would not return it unless you keep asking and he may eventually be pronounced a defaulter. This is by reason of their folly and want of sense that they interpret in words. "We are not," they say, "under any obligation to these illiterate faithless people -the Muslims-" and they intentionally relate to Allah falsehood which they admit into their minds

[76] Indeed he who fulfils his promise when he pledges himself before Allah to do what is to be done, keeps the vow when he binds himself by one, his words and deeds together accord and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah shall come in the grace of Allah for Allah likes those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[77] Those who exchange Allah’s covenant or a vow to heaven or an oath that is binding for a miserable price featured in the vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world shall be denied Allah’s grace Hereafter. Nor shall Allah address them, or look at them on the Day of Resurrection. He shall not bless them, and there awaits them a severe punishment

[78] Among Ahl al-Kitab are some who seem to recite divine revelations documented in the Quran in jest to distort the words from common use. They expect to imprint on your minds that these are verses of the Quran, while in fact they are not. They relate them to Allah when in fact they are not Allah’s words and they relate to Allah falsehood and they admit it into their minds

[79] It is hardly intelligible that a human on whom Allah confers the Book and the wisdom and the prerogative of Prophethood would demand of the people to worship him in lieu of Allah. Rather he would ask of them by virtue of right and authority to pay reverence and veneration to Allah, the Creator, and to adore Him with appropriate acts and rites and devotion. This is the logical sequence which Allah has imparted to them, the divine knowledge which they have imparted to people, the divine knowledge which they themselves have applied their minds to its acquisition

[80] Allah does not ordain that you take the angels and the Prophets as tutelary deities. Would he command you to deny Him after you have conformed your will to His blessed will and accepted His divine system of faith and worship

[81] Allah entered into a covenant with the Prophets, expressing the obligation to which they are bound. "I have given you the Book," He said, "and acquainted your hearts with wisdom. So when there comes a Messenger with a Book that corroborates and authoritatively validates the Authentic Books you hold in possession, you shall faithfully recognize him, uphold him and help him accomplish his mission. Now do you all subscribe to this allegiance and shall you pledge yourselves before Me to keep the vow!" They said: "We pray the prayer and vow the vow." "Then," Allah said, "you bear witness to this obligation which you shall relate to your people, and here do I subscribe to be also a witness to this course of action

[82] Therefore, those who counsel deaf to this obligation are the perverse who are faithless and morally depraved

[83] Is it a system of faith and worship other than that ordained by Allah that they desire, when to His blessed will have all creation in the heavens and on earth submitted willingly or unwillingly and in the end back to Him shall all return

[84] O Muhammad, declare in explicit terms: We Muslims believe in Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues. We believe in all that has been imparted to us in the Quran and in all that was imparted to Ibrahim and Isma’il, to Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya’qub (Jacob) and to the tribes of his twelve sons and in what was imparted to Mussa and to ‘Isa. We believe in all that was imparted to all the Prophets from Allah, their Creator. We do not discriminate one from another and we conform our will to His blessed will. He is the heart of our purpose

[85] He who adopts a system of faith and worship other than Islam simply bends on a system of faith and worships which does not have the standing upon the vantage ground of truth. Such a system of faith shall not be accepted from him and he shall be a great loser Hereafter

[86] How shall Allah consent to guide a people who intentionally deny Him after they have recognized Him and bore witness to the truth of His Messenger's mission? How shall He guide them after they had received and accepted then later on rejected the clear and plain revelations and signs guiding out of darkness and superstition! Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness those who are wrongful of actions

[87] Such persons shall be requited with what is commensurate with their deeds; they have incurred the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all mankind

[88] This curse shall beset them to Eternity. Nor shall their torture in Hell be abated nor shall their punishment be put in respite

[89] However the penitents who in lowliest plight repentant stood and reformed themselves so their thoughts are governed by a new and divine principle, shall find that Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[90] Indeed those who deny Allah after they have recognized Him and be so bold as to display their infidelity by acts of sedition and hostility in defiance of piety, never shall their penitence be accepted, and these are they who have been lost in the maze of error

[91] Those who deny Allah and death claims them clothed with the ugly vestments of disbelief, they shall have committed an unforgivable sin. The offer of as much gold as the earth can treasure shall not be accepted from any of them in expiation for his guilt. Such persons must expect endless suffering and shall find no one to afford them help

[92] You people shall not attain piety, the groundwork of Allah’s system of faith and worship, until you spend of what you treasure and cherish in divine service. Whatever you spend in this respect comes to Allah’s knowledge

[93] All articles of food were lawful to Bani Isra‘il except what Ya’qub forbade to himself. His children followed suit before Mussa was sent and AL-Tawrah revealed. Say to them, O Muhammad: "Bring AL-Tawrah and read its text if what you are negating is true

[94] Henceforth, he who relates to Allah falsehood and intentionally asserts what is false shall be seen as those who are wrongful in actions

[95] Say to them: "Allah has declared the truth, therefore, follow you people, the religion of Ibrahim, the true and straight forward devotee and follow his system of faith and worship. He never incorporated with Allah other deities

[96] The first house devoted specifically for divine worship and appropriated to assemblies for the adoration of Allah with appropriate acts and rites was the house founded in Bakkah (Macca). It has been blessed with the spirit of truth guiding all beings into all truth

[97] It is majestically dignified with outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace including Ibrahim’s station where he performed the prescribed acts of devotion. Whoever comes into it shall have the privilege of a sanctuary; he comes to be vested with immunity from harm and liability. The pilgrimage to there is a duty incumbent on people; those of them who can afford to do homage and honour to Almighty Allah. He who refuses to acknowledge this religious rite must realize that Allah is Ghaniyun (independent) of all creation, Self Existent and Absolute

[98] Say to Ahl al-Kitab: "Why do you deny Allah’s revelations and visible signs when Allah is Shahidun ( Omniscient) of all that you do

[99] And ask them: "Why do you stand in the way, preventing Allah’s spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth? Why do you make it your aim to pervert the truth and crook the path of righteousness to your own ends when you bear witness to the fact that this is the path where Providence is the Guide? Allah is not unmindful of all that you do

[100] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand, if you open your hearts' ears to some of Ahl AL-Kitab, they will alienate you from Allah’s purpose. They shall turn you renegades and you shall go over from your religion after you have conformed to Islam

[101] How can you consent to the denial of Allah when Allah’s revelations are narrated to you and the truth of the matter is stated to you and Allah’s Messenger is in your midst! He who turns his mind to Allah and chooses to be under His tutelage shall have been guided to the path of righteousness

[102] You who believed and gave credence to the Prophet's mission, revere Allah in the manner appropriate to His Absolute Sovereignty. Entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him and adhere to Allah’s' system of faith and worship so that when death lays his hands on you and you go through its door, you will have conformed your will to Allah’s blessed will

[103] Hold firmly together and grasp the eternal and unchangeable sublime system of Allah! Lay hold of it with the mind and do not be discordant among yourselves. Call to mind Allah’s favour that you wear. You were enemies and He accorded your differences and you cherished different principles and practices and by His grace you are now in one accord. You were on the edge of the bottomless abyss of Hell and He saved you from eternal disaster. Thus, Allah expounds to you His revelations so that you may hopefully be guided to His path of righteousness

[104] Let there be unity in feeling and purpose among you. Be united as one whole who would enjoin conformity of life and conduct to the requirements of divine and moral law. Forbid all that is wrongful and obscene. Such people shall reap the fruits of victory here and in the Hereafter

[105] Do not be like those who were divided among themselves and discordant after they have received divine revelations and signs guiding them out of darkness and superstition and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment. Such people shall suffer grievously

[106] This shall be on the day when countenances speak different languages; some being effulgent with splendour and bright light, beaming with joy and hope while others are dark and gloomy. Rebuked for want of faith, they shall be told: "How could you deny Allah after you have recognized Him. You have well deserved to be put to the torment in requital of infidelity

[107] Whereas those whose countenances are expressive of joy and hope shall be the recipients of Allah’s blessings; they shall be beset with Allah’s infinite mercy

[108] These are Allah’s revelations O Muhammad, We narrate them to you in truth, and it has never been Allah’s purpose to exercise injustice to people

[109] To Allah belong all that is in the Heavens and all that is on Earth, and to Allah, the Ultimate Authority, are committed and submitted all matters and all affairs for consideration, decision and execution here and in the Hereafter

[110] You Muslims have been the best people* that have evolved from mankind for mankind. You enjoin equity and you recourse to general principles of justice. You forbid all that is wrongful and obscene and you conform your will to Allah’s blessed will

[111] They will not hurt your interests O Mohammad nor will they harm you. They will only be a source of annoyance. If they war against you they will turn tail and seek safety in flight and will not be crowned with victory

[112] They have been stamped with humiliation (The Jews) wherever they are found, except when they come to be under the tutelage of Allah and at peace with people. They came within the measure of Allah’s wrath and they were stamped with mortification of pride. Their unjustifiable slaying of the Prophets was in the train of their defiance of piety. Their disobedience was natural to them that it became an addiction to transgression

[113] But in fairness to them, Ahl AL-Kitab are not all alike. Among them are a people who conform their will to Allah’s blessed will; a people who recite verses of Allah’s revelations by night and bow to the ground in reverence and adoration and prostrate their reason to divine revelation

[114] They believe in Allah with hearts impressed with images of religious and spiritual virtues and they are mindful of the Hereafter. They enjoin equity and recourse to general principles of justice and they condemn the bad and emulate the best. Such people are enrolled among the righteous

[115] Whatever good they do, they shall never be denied the fruit nor the reward of any deed imprinted with wisdom and piety. Allah is fully aware of those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[116] Indeed those who denied Allah were born to be losers; neither their wealth nor their progeny shall profit them or afford them help nor be beneficially effective against what Allah has for them in store. These are the inmates of hell to endure for that vast forever

[117] The example of whatever they spent in this world that was not pertaining to Allah is just like the crops of wrong headed farmers who were wrongful of actions. Their yield was hit by an icy cold wind that reduced it to ruin. It was not Allah Who did them injustice but it was they who wronged themselves

[118] O you people whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues: do not have as intimate associates a body of persons of another law; they shall not hesitate to pervert you. They eagerly wish to overthrow you or bring an irretrievable disaster upon you. Nature has written a letter of discredit upon their faces that reflect hatred; such a hatred that is portrayed in their thoughts which they express in words, but worse is what their bosoms conceal. We have made to you Our revelations clear and plain if only you have soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends

[119] You see how you hold them dear and entertain great regard for them while they do not reciprocate the same feeling. You give credence to all the Books which Allah has revealed while they do not. When they come face to face with you they declare that they have conformed their will to Allah’s blessed will but when they are apart from you, they bite their lips and their finger tips in the rage of distemper. Say to them O Muhammad: "Perish those whose minds are backwards and perish you in the rage of your distemper; Allah is indeed 'Alimun of all private thoughts and feelings in the breast

[120] If good fortune falls to you, be it through victory or through martyrdom, they come to be actuated by envy and grieved at heart. If you are befallen with a disaster or wedded to a calamity, they rejoice beyond a common joy. If you be patient and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, you shall not be hurt by their wicked plots and intrigues. Allah besets them on all sides and He is 'Alimun of all that they do

[121] Remember O Muhammad that once when you left your household early in the morning resolving to take your station for battle and to command your faithful followers to take post and Allah is Sami’un, and 'Alimun

[122] Then two of your tribes almost lost heart. However, they were saved by the graceful tutelage of Allah, and in Allah should those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand put their trust

[123] The Battle of Badr ought to have taught you abhorrence of want of faith and lack of discipline. Allah has made victory sit on your helm even though you were an insignificant humble force out of heart. Therefore, revere Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him so that you may hopefully impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude

[124] You Muhammad told your faithful troops, who were confronted with an unexpected situation and thought they were affronting death, to lift up their hearts and their morale. You said to them: "Is it not enough for you that Allah, your Creator, upholds you with an array of three thousand angels specially dispatched from heaven's realm to support your cause

[125] Indeed if you exercise patience and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah you shall be able to do battle against your enemy. Should you be taken by surprise and be suddenly attacked you shall receive Allah’s aid; He shall uphold you with an array of five thousand angels emblematic of onslaught

[126] Such an announcement of Allah’s aid was meant to be cheerful news to raise your spirits and to ease your anguish of a torturing hour and make you rest assured of victory. It should have made you realize that victory and the position of supremacy and superiority are an attribute and an act of Allah, AL- Aziz and AL-Hakim

[127] Allah ordained this course of events. He purposed to strike a part of the evil group of infidels at the root and so with one single blow would they be severed, or to disgrace them and enrage their blood and put them into such a commotion that would precipitate their humiliation and defeat

[128] It is none of your concern nor is it the concern of your people O Muhammad whether Allah reduces your enemy's number and their land or the extent of their power and wealth or whether He effects their defeat or relents and pardons their offence or requites them with retributive punishment. They are a wrongful people

[129] To Allah belong all that is in the Heavens and all that is on Earth. He forgives whom He will and punishes whom He will. Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[130] O you who have conformed to Islam! Usury is incompatible with religion. Do not swallow voraciously whatever interest you can get for the money you lend, doubling and redoubling the interest as you go. Revere Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him so that heaven may prosper you

[131] And save yourselves the Fire especially prepared for those who disobey Allah’s commands

[132] Obey Allah and His Messenger so that you may come to be recipients of His mercy

[133] Enter into rivalry with each other for forgiveness from Allah, your Creator, and for a hearty welcome in a Paradise as extensive as are the Heavens and the Earth, specially prepared for those who revere Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[134] It is a paradise of supreme bliss prepared specially for those who spend in divine service in instances of prosperity and in instances of adversity, who restrain and suppress their feeling of anger and accord people forgiveness and do not entertain them with thoughts of ill will. Allah likes those who perfect their illustrious toils and turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence

[135] Those who no sooner do they commit an immoral act, than they at once recall Allah to mind and invoke His forgiveness. Who can forgive transgression of the divine law and the offence against Allah but Him? They do not insist on their course of action when they know it is wrong

[136] Such persons shall merit forgiveness from Allah, their Creator, and the life in supreme bliss in gardens beneath which rivers flow after they will have passed through nature to Eternity. How excellent is the reward of those who strive for a good end

[137] A narration of events, modes of action and examples from ages past serve as evidence for each instance forming a particular case of principle and a signal instance of punishment. Therefore, journey the land you Muslims and pause to think and meditate what you see with your minds’ eyes in order to realize the fatal consequence which united all those who persisted in their intentional assertion of falsehood

[138] This is a proclamation for mankind that is documented in the Quran in which Providence is the guide, and an admonition to those who revere Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful To Him

[139] Do not falter in your war of belief against positive unbelief nor grieve at heart, for you shall gain the upper hand if your hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[140] If you have sustained a heavy blow with injuries, so have the enemies. We rotate fortune and alternate the days of gratification and the days of distress. So that each people have their day and Allah distinguishes the steadfast among the believers who are immovable in faith and confers the prerogative of martyrdom on those of you who qualify; Allah detests the wrongful

[141] And Allah fits those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues so purified to rid them of doubt and of those who are hypocrites and to massacre the infidels who deny Him

[142] Did you think that you would be heartily welcomed in the realm of surpassing beauty and supreme bliss before Allah has seen that you have distinguished yourselves on every front or line of battle and that you have been distinguished into the valiant and those who are unwearied in the face of difficulties

[143] Before the encounter with death, you had always wished yourselves dead in the cause of Allah, and now that you have seen it executed in your companions, you falter and let go; you quit your posts and seek much after booty

[144] Muhammad is but a Messenger the like of whom have passed away before him. Do you mean if he dies or is slain in battle, you turn renegades and return to idolatry! Indeed he who turns back on his heels and reverses his position shall never hurt Allah’s interest in the least, and Allah shall reward the thankful

[145] Nor can a soul be disembodied except by Allah’s permission according to a predetermined point of time that had been entered in a Book. He who so sets his mind upon the mundane things ministering to his enjoyment and content here below shall be requited with what is apportioned to him in this world. He who so sets his mind upon the divine things conducing to Allah’s mercy and grace Hereafter shall be requited with what is commensurate with his deeds of wisdom and piety. We will generously reward those who impel themselves to the feeling of gratitude

[146] A good many of the Prophets fought against positive disbelief and with them fought countless numbers of devotees whose hearts had been touched with the divine hand. Never did they falter in consequence of the misfortunes they experienced in the cause of Allah, nor were they disheartened or dispirited, nor did they acknowledge themselves beaten. Allah likes the patient who are unwearied in the face of difficulties

[147] All they said was no other than their prayer of invocation: "O Allah, our Creator, forgive us our iniquities and the excesses into which we might have been driven and help us take a firm position and set our feet firm, and make victory and fortune sit on our helm so that we reduce those who deny you to ruin

[148] In return did Allah requite them with what they merited for their deeds of wisdom and piety here below and the surpassing merit Hereafter. Allah likes those who perfect their illustrious toils and turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence

[149] O you who have conformed to Islam do not falter by consequence of misfortunes in battle nor lend an ear to the infidels who deny Allah. For if you open your hearts, ears to them, they shall be able to turn you renegades and you will relapse into infidelity and come to be great losers

[150] Do not forget that Allah is your Tutelary Guardian and who can gain advantage on Allah

[151] We will inspire terror in the infidels' hearts and dishearten them for incorporating with Allah other deities He never authorized. Their destined abode is Hell and evil indeed is the destined habitation of the wrongful

[152] Allah has kept His promise to you as was shown in putting your enemy to rout, Allah permitting, until you began to falter by reason of opposing arguments. Some were in favour of obeying the Prophet's command and maintaining their posts and the others against his command, running after booty, at a time when the Prophet was about to make the victory. Among you are those who are concerned only with the interests and pleasures of life below and its mundane things, and others whose main concern is Allah’s grace Hereafter. Then did Allah distract your minds and your attention and made you draw off from the battle field to test your true inclination and He afforded you forgiveness. Allah’s bounty abounds in those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[153] You forced your way up the hill paying attention to no one while the Prophet in the rear convoked you to come to fight. There, did Allah requite you with grief, upon grief, for being balked of your booty and for fleeing in the face of danger, so that you would learn not to grieve for what you miss nor to despair for what befalls you. Allah is 'Alimun of all that you do

[154] Thereafter did Allah replace the emotion of sorrow and grief by peace of mind and sense of security, which induced the eyes of some of you to take themselves to slumber. Others were aroused to emotion, which begot unjust suspicion of Allah, and a state of mind characteristic of ignorance - analogous to the ignorance induced by paganism. The latter keep their thoughts to themselves and do not express them to you O Muhammad and they say to themselves: "If we had a say in the matter we would never have been slain here in battle!" Say to them: "Had you decided to be the stay- at- home, those of you predestined to be slain would have emerged to the sites of their interment." Such a train of events, Allah has ordained to expose your actions interpreting your thoughts, and to test your innermost being for such a disposition as your hearts and minds would incline you to propound. Allah is 'Alimun of all that is stored in the bosoms

[155] Those of you who turned tail and abandoned their posts on the day the two forces met were but victims of AL-Shaytan. Who took advantage of their disobedience to the Prophet and led them to their fall from their first perfection. However Allah has afforded them forgiveness. He is Ghafurun (Indulgent), and Halimun (Forbearing)

[156] O you who conformed to Islam, be not like those infidels who denied Allah and thought they could prevent what is fated to happen. On every occasion when they lost some of their fellow countrymen in journeys of trade or in wars, they expressed their thoughts in words: "Had they been with us and remained here, they would not have died nor been slain." This feeling and thought did Allah infuse into them to actuate their hearts and minds with grief. It is Allah who gives life and occasions the moment of death and He is 'Alimun of all that you do

[157] If you are slain in the course of a hostile encounter between belief and positive unbelief or you die in battle or from another cause, you will have merited Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. This outweighs all that you might have earned or accumulated had you been carried through the stealing steps of age into advanced life. Therefore, give up resentment against them and invoke on their behalf Allah’s mercy

[158] Whether you die or be slain, shall all of you be gathered to Allah

[159] Allah of His mercy made your heart, O Muhammad, ever tender in the treatment of the calamity which they -your people- brought upon themselves in battle. He made you speak to them in the gentle voice of peace. Had you been unsparing in censure and reproof and harsh hearted, they would have broken the bonds of loyalty and would have broken away from you. Therefore, give up resentment against them and invoke on their behalf Allah’s mercy and consult with them upon matters of great moment, matters on which you received no divine authoritative instructions. So when you have caused a discord to pass into a concord and resolved on a course of action, then in Allah you trust, for Allah likes those who put their trust in Him

[160] If Allah upholds you and confers on you His tutelary protection, no one can gain advantage over you, and if He should deny you tutelary protection, who else is there besides Him who can protect you or help you in distress and misfortune! In Allah should those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand put their trust

[161] It is not a Prophet who would appropriate spoils or anything else to wrong uses or apply it dishonestly to his own use. Nor would he ever betray the trust or the one who trusted him. He who withholds from anyone what is his, by right, shall carry in Day of Judgement the insignia of fraud and misappropriation when every soul shall be requited with what is commensurate with its deeds and no one shall be wronged

[162] Shall he who obeyed Allah’s statutes in quest of Allah’s satisfaction compare with the one who came within the measure of Allah’s wrath and has been destined to the abode in Hell, which is an evil destiny

[163] People are divided according to grades of quality, disposition and attributes as determined by Allah. Allah is Bassirun, He sees all that they do

[164] Allah has been gracious to those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand. He raised in their midst a Messenger who is related to them by kinship and by spiritual qualities into which they all entered. He is a Messenger who shall recite to them His revelations, impart sanctity to them and teach them the Book -the Quran- and acquaint their hearts with wisdom, notwithstanding that they were once lost in the maze of error and liberally swam in immoral pleasure

[165] Now that you have been wedded to a calamity which you brought upon yourselves by consequence of disobedience when the two forces met, a calamity which does not compare with that you brought on your enemy that was twice as severe; now you ask: "How did it happen and what was it due to?" Say to them O Muhammad "You brought it on yourselves as a logical conclusion for your wrongful action. Allah is indeed Qadirun over all things

[166] What befell you that day when the two forces met was justly brought about by Allah’s permission to distinguish those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[167] He exposes the hypocrites who pretended to be other then they are. When they were asked to join the Muslim forces to fight in the cause of Allah or at least to defend their own interests; they made excuses. They said, "We would gladly follow you if we knew how to fight." They were then furthermost from Allah and their words did not accord to their inmost thoughts. Allah knows best their secret feelings

[168] It was those who stayed at home who had something to say in defense and extenuation of their conduct. They made unfavourable comments on their fellow Muslims who were slain in battle; They said; "Had they obeyed us and remained here, they would not have been slain." Say to them O Muhammad. "If this be the case, then avert death and prevent it from befalling you if indeed you are declaring the truth

[169] Do not consider them dead the martyrs in the cause of Allah for they are living in heaven's realm in the venerable and. revered August presence of Allah, their Creator, laying in divine provisions

[170] Rejoicing beyond a common joy at Allah’s bounty abounding in them and joyful for those who are yet to join them for they shall have no grounds for alarm nor shall fear or dread fall upon them nor shall they come to grief

[171] They have assumed a state of mind that brightens up their faces for the grace and the bounty conferred on them by Allah. It is a state of mind with an air of assurance that Allah does not withhold nor withdraw the grateful return due to those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[172] Who responded favourably to Allah and to His Prophet and resumed fighting after they had stopped having been wedded to the calamity. It was those who excelled at the battle and entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah; they shall be requited with what is generously commensurate with their deeds

[173] The news simply strengthened them mentally and morally and confirmed their faith, when they were told by the people that their enemies had mustered up a great number of troops to fight against them so, they should be fearful of them. It was those who did not fear fate; they feared naught but Allah, and said; "Allah is the answer to our purpose, our hopes and our needs, and how excellent He is for the Tutelary Guardian

[174] Never was battle executed with greater determination, that the enemy had sensed and consequently fled from the rage of those whom they considered persecutors. There and then did the Muslims return, by the grace of Allah and His bounty, unharmed and not even touched physically in any way. They espoused the cause of Allah and His satisfaction and were consequently qualified to receive His blessings, and Allah’s bounty is plentiful, full flowing

[175] It was only AL-Shaytan hiding behind those with characteristics befitting him, who inspired terror in the hearts and minds of those who were submissive to them, who in turn tried to transmit it to some of you! Therefore, do not be fearful of them but fear Me if indeed your hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[176] Let not those who impel themselves heedlessly on infidelity grieve you O Muhammad. They shall not harm Allah in the least. Allah has intended to allot to them no share of the bliss Hereafter, and there awaits them a condign punishment

[177] Those who exchanged faith for infidelity shall never harm Allah in the least and their awaits them the torment which shall be laid on the damned

[178] The infidels must not think that the respite We grant them is for their own good; We simply give them plenty of rope to allow them free action in order that they commit themselves further to the evil line of conduct. There awaits them a condign and humiliating punishment

[179] It was never in the set of Allah’s correlated principles to let those who conformed to Islam remain in this present state which is a combination of circumstances and attributes, but only to segregate the bad from the good, expose the malevolent and distinguish the benevolent. Nor did Allah intend to endow you people with the prerogative of divination nor with power of knowing the unknown or realizing the unseen or the invisible. Yet He chooses from His Prophets whom He will and gives them knowledge of events to come according to His will. Therefore, believe you people in Allah and give credence to His Prophets, for if you believe with hearts that reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him, you shall be requited with a great reward

[180] Nor should those who are unwilling to spend in divine service of what Allah conferred on them consider this tight fisted disposition an advantage to them. To the contrary, it is an injury to their interest and prejudice to their credit. They shall be fitted round their necks in Day of Judgement with the insignia of what they hoarded. To Allah shall be the inheritance of the realms of the Heavens and the Earth, and Allah is 'Alimun of all that you do

[181] Allah has heard the discourse of those of Ahl AL-Kitab who expressed their thoughts in words, saying: "Allah is poor whereas we are rich." We will record their dissertation as well as their unjustified slaying of the prophets, and shall say to them at the predetermined moment: "Now taste the torment of burning in the Fire

[182] This is the train of evil that your wrongful and unclean hands have drawn after them." Allah is not unjust to His servants

[183] Who said: "Allah has enjoined us not to give credence to a Prophet until he has presented to us an offering which of necessity be devoured by a fire from heaven." Say to them O Muhammad: "Many Prophets before me had presented you with clear evidence of Allah’s Omnipotence and of their delegated divine authority and with such divinely miraculous acts as you have described, why then did you bring death upon them if indeed you are declaring the truth

[184] Should they disbelieve you and think you convey a false message; they had already refused credence to Messengers sent before you; who were sent to them with clear and plain revelations and signs, Scriptures and Psalms guiding out of darkness and superstition of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment

[185] Every soul is destined to the encounter with death and in Day of Judgement shall you be requited only with what is due to you. He who is diverted from the path leading to Hell to the path bounding for Paradise will have triumphed. Life here below is but an animate existence affording pleasure, deceiving those with foolishly credulous ambition and vain employment of time

[186] You people shall be afflicted with some disagreeable events and misfortunes to test your qualities. You shall experience loss in wealth and in lives and you shall hear injuriously contemptuous insults from those who received the Book before you as well as from those who incorporate with Allah other deities. If you are patient and forbearing and you entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, you will have then considered matters with an attitude of mind reflecting high spirit and strong will

[187] For once did Allah make a covenant with Ahl AL-Kitab. They should make the Book genuinely known to everyone and not hide the least part of its text and its precepts. However they cast it behind their backs and exchanged the truth for the worthless vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world. How evil and how ill indeed is the advantage they gained

[188] Do not think, O Muhammad; that those who rejoice at their successful perversion of their own Scriptures from its original purity to what accords with their own desire, and love to be credited with theological virtues which they do not possess, that they shall escape torment!. They shall in fact be put to the torture

[189] To Allah belongs the Absolute Sovereignty of the realms of the Heavens and the Earth. Allah is Qadirun over all things

[190] Indeed, the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, and the variation in duration and the constant alternation and succession symbolic of the night and the day are signs with prodigies emblematic of Omnipotence and Authority sensed by those who reflect

[191] They think of Allah with reverent feeling, standing, sitting and lying on their sides and ponder and meditate the infinite creation of the Heavens and the Earth. They interpret their thoughts in words of an invocatory prayer: "O Allah, our Creator, the One and only Ilah they say, You did not bring all this into being and caused it to exist to no effect or purpose. Glory be to You and extolled are Your glorious attributes. We beseech You to ensure us immunity from the torment of the Fire

[192] O Allah, our Creator, indeed, he whom You destine to the abode in the Fire of Hell, You will have vested with the insignia of shame, and no help shall be afforded the wrongful

[193] We heard O Allah, our Creator, a herald promulgating spiritual prompting to recognize Allah, the Creator, and to serve Him, and we responded favourably by adopting Your system of faith and worship. O Allah, our Creator, we pray and beseech You to afford us forgiveness of our iniquities and to remit Our deeds of an evil savour and to allow our disembodied souls to join those of the righteous

[194] We pray and beseech you O Allah to bestow on us what You promised us at the hands of Your Prophets and not put us to shame on the Day of Resurrection; You certainly never fail to fulfill a promise

[195] There did Allah respond favourably to their invocation and answer their prayer; He said "Indeed I do not annul, withhold nor withdraw the fruit anyone, man or a woman, is entitled to reap from deeds of wisdom and piety, you spring one from the other. Therefore, those who emigrated and were ousted from their homes and suffered in My cause and fought the war of belief against positive unbelief and have survived or been slain shall be entitled to a great reward. I will remit their deeds of an evil savour, I will welcome them in gardens of bliss and surpassing beauty beneath which rivers flow, a reward from Heaven, and in Allah’s grace rest hope and mercy and the best reward

[196] Let not the instances of prosperity falling to the infidels by the labour of trading from one place to another deceive you O Muhammad

[197] Wicked men are not denied prosperity, but the pleasure it affords them is of short duration, and then punishment must follow conviction. They are destined to the abode in Hell and evil indeed is that abode

[198] Those who revered Allah and entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Him shall be heartily welcomed in gardens of bliss and surpassing beauty beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity in a perpetual ecstatic delight, characterizing the abode prepared for them by Allah. Whatever Allah has in His heaven's realm of blissful rapture is the best reward which merits expectant waiting by those vested with conformity of life and conduct to the requirements of the divine and moral laws

[199] Certainly, among Ahl AL-Kitab are those who believe in Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues; they give credence to all that has been revealed to you Muslims and to all that had been revealed to them. They humble themselves to Allah and never do they exchange the truth and the established divine principles for the worthless vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world. Allah shall reward such people with what is generously commensurate with their deeds of wisdom and piety. Allah is swift indeed in putting the law into execution

[200] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand, in patience you possess your souls. Outdo all others in exercising patience in the face of difficulties and sit, like patience on a monument, smiling at grief and maintain your deeds of wisdom and piety and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah so that Heaven may prosper you

[1] O you people: revere Allah your Creator, and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him, Who brought you -into being from one single soul-Adam- and from him did He create his mate -Eve-, and from joining both in matrimony did He propagate multitudes of men and women. And revere Allah Whom you invoke for aid and protection and to Whom you appeal in witness that a statement or the like is true, and revere the wombs. That bore you and regard them as having a divine and sacred character; Allah has always been Raqibun (Omnipresent), He has always kept a vigilant eye upon you

[2] And restore to the orphans their property and do not exchange the worthless which you might own for the good and valuable which they own, nor incorporate their property with your property; this has always been regarded by Allah as a great sin

[3] Should you have an uneasy sense of the probability of an unjust action against the orphans' interest consequent on volition stronger than your own viz. marriage for selfish motive principles, age incompatibility, inappropriate dower, marriage against their wish then make for them other arrangements

[4] And give the women, whom you join in wedlock. their dower with good will. But if they -the women- willingly remit a part thereof of their own accord, then you may eat it into your hearts and enjoy it; may it give you pleasure; may it do you good

[5] And when time is ripe to hand over the property, with which you are entrusted, to the orphans who now come of age, make sure they are not characterized by a disordered mind; this property is in fact the trust of the community but held in trust by a particular individual. If they are incapable, then exempt them from this responsibility but gently and with kindness. And the property shall serve as the source from which you sustain them and clothe them. And let your dissertation with them be a sweet discourse

[6] And test the orphans now and then until they reach maturity and be fit -for marriage. If you feel they are characterized by good sense and prudence, then hand over to them their property and you must not abuse it nor act with expedition of time and events to absorb it or devour it before they come of age. And he who is entrusted with the property must not impose a liability or charge a fee for the execution of his functions, but be virtuous should he be wealthy and opulent. But if he is poor, then he may remunerate himself with equity. And when you hand over the, property to them -the orphans- you must have others witness the transfer, and sufficient is Allah to be Hasibun (a Witness Who calls to account)

[7] Men have a rightful claim to the property left by the parents and the kindred, and, women have the same rightful claim to the property left by the parents and the kindred, be it little or much; it is a clearly defined portion allotted to them by Providence

[8] And should the poor relatives, the orphans and the needy be present at the occasion of dividing the heritage and distributing it among the heirs, then provide. them with some portion of it as a gesture to avoid a disappointment of their expectation and the envy they feel at the superior advantages of others. And let your dissertation with them be a sweet discourse

[9] And let those who are settling the property upon the heirs revere Allah and keep him in mind and be disposed to propose what is right as they would like others to do with their heirs on whose account they shall be deeply concerned should they be left young and helpless

[10] Indeed those who wrongfully eat the orphans out of their property simply consume but fire into their bellies and shall suffer conflagration

[11] Allah commends - to you your children thus

[12] And you have a rightful claim to half what your wives have left if they have no child

[13] These are the limiting provisions imposed by Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger shall be a recipient of Allah's blessings; Allah shall welcome them into gardens of bliss beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity, and this is indeed a triumph supreme

[14] And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and goes beyond the limiting provisions prescribed by Allah, shall Heaven lay his transgression to his charge; Allah admits him to Hell wherein he shall last forever, suffering a humiliating punishment

[15] And those of your women who commit themselves to acts of sexual immorality shall be punished on the credit of four witnesses of your men (co-religionists) who are known to recourse to general principles of justice. Should these men attest to the truth of the act, then confine them indoors (or in-doors) until death claims them or until Allah ordains for them a special providence (construed to mean repentance and marriage)

[16] And if two of your men commit themselves to the same evil line of conduct (homosexuality) do punish them both. But if they repent and abandon wrong-doing, then disregard their past act and do not reproach them to induce mental pain; Allah has always accepted true repentance and the atonement made by the people; He has always been Tawabun (Relenting) and Rahimun

[17] Allah takes upon Himself to accept the repentance of those who commit themselves to an evil line of conduct proceeding from undue haste and want of thought and soon thereafter wake up. to the realization of the, consequence of the event and immediately feel contrition and in lowliest plight repentant stand. Such persons, shall Allah give up resentment against them and pardon their offence; Allah has always been 'Alimun and Hakimun

[18] But in no case shall Allah take upon Himself to accept the repentance of those who consume their life in wrong - doing until the encounter with death when each of then will says: "Now do I repent," nor of those who are caught in the Jaws of death with minds captivated in disbelief. Such persons shall be denied Allah's forgiveness, and We have prepared for them a condign punishment

[19] O you who have conformed to Islam women are not a property to be inherited against their will following the death of their husbands; you are forbidden to copy this pagan custom, nor are you allowed to ill treat them to force them to give up a part of the dower or of the property you have given them, unless they have been proven guilty of an evil line of conduct. And you must live with them in equity and honour according to the manner and the Islamic laws of matrimony. And should you take to them so much dislike; it may happen that you dislike something whereby Allah makes all grace abound

[20] And if any of you decides to dissolve his marriage contract with his wife in favour of matrimonial union with another, and you had dowered your divorcee when you joined in wedlock with a talent of gold, you shall not recover the least part of it; would you reclaim what is their right by fraud and dishonesty and you stand manifest of deceit and falsehood

[21] And how could you reclaim it when you have already entered into matrimony and communion with one another and your vows and solemn promise of allegiance and good will have been pledged to them before Allah

[22] And do not marry the women whom your fathers (deceased or divorced) have married before; Allah shall drop into oblivion what happened in the past. This incestuous union has been regarded by Allah as-an immoral act, a degrading vice and an evil line of conduct

[23] Forbidden are : your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal and maternal aunts, your nieces on the brother and sister's side, your foster - mothers, your foster- sisters, your mothers - in - law, your step -daughters with whose mothers you have consummated marriage, but you are absolved to marry them if you have annulled your unconsummated marriage to their mothers -your daughters-in- law whose husbands are your own sons who generated from your own loins. Nor can you effect a, matrimonial union with two sisters at the same time; bygone shall be bygone; the new era shall begin; indeed Allah has always been Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun

[24] Nor can you marry the women who are married except the captives on hand; a prescriptive rule imposed by Allah on you to observe. But lawful unto you are all who are beyond this limiting provision, with the proviso that you seek to win, with your resources, the women of your choice to unite with them according to Islamic laws of matrimony and not according to vicious indulgence in sexual pleasures. And pay those of them whom you shall enjoy, their dowers; it is a duty incurred by such bond. Nonetheless you shall not fall into consequence if you mutually agree to give her more than what you have dutifully paid or you take back from her what she wishes to remit of her own accord; indeed Allah has always been 'Alimun and Hakimun

[25] And those of you who do not have enough resources to marry the Muslim, -women who enjoy civil liberty, may turn the course and resort to the young unmarried Muslim women among those reduced to a servile state; and Allah Knows best those of you who justify faith as a conviction operative on their character and will. You take them in marriage by permission of their guardians and pay them themselves, their dowers with good will, and choose those of them who are characterized with the attribute of chastity, faith and fidelity and ornamented with the flower of honesty and not enamoured of other men. And when once they are united in wedlock, they have to guard-themselves from being supposed (temptation). And should they commit themselves to an evil line of conduct, then they shall suffer for their offence, but their punishment shall be half that inflicted on free women for the same offence. Such course of action is ordained for those who are afraid to live in celibacy lest they commit themselves to an evil line of conduct and incur the undesirable consequence. And if you be patient and quietly await the course of events, it is better for you, and Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[26] Allah intends to indicate to you the best course of action and to guide you to divine providence and to the habits of life acquired by those who came to this world before you, and to give up resentment against you and pardon your offence. And Allah is 'Alimun and Hakimun

[27] But whereas Allah takes upon Himself to extend His mercy to you and give up resentment against you and pardon your offence, the wicked bred to the taste of lust appetent wish to see you alienate Allah's purpose and depart far distant from the path of righteousness

[28] Allah means to unburden your minds and your conscience by ordaining what is compatible with your nature and to unburden to you the sins and sorrows of life, for man was created wanting in moral strength endurance, and resistance, lacking fortitude and courage, strength of purpose and will, and the weakest among you are often deceived by others

[29] O you who have conformed to Islam: Do not eat your property out of each other in irreverence, wickedness, dishonesty and impiety (usury, gambling, cheating, adulteration, treachery, monopoly, bribery, embezzlement, stealing and such vices); this leads to a gradual self- destruction, unless it be a trade or exchange of commodities for a profit consented to by both the buyer and the seller. Nor shall you kill each other or commit self-murder; Allah is ever Rahimun to you

[30] And he, who sinfully and wrongfully commits himself to such line of action, shall suffer grievously; We will subject him to a dreadful conflagration, and this is easy for Allah to do

[31] If you avoid and refrain from committing the major sins which have been forbidden unto you, We will grant you remission for your iniquities and admit you into favour and grant you an honourable entry into the realm of bliss and the beatitude of heaven

[32] Do not have a longing to the superior advantages or privileges Allah has gifted some of you above others. Men have a rightful claim to be apportioned the proper share of what they have earned (by labour or inheritance), and women have a rightful claim to be apportioned the proper share of what they have earned (by labour or inheritance) therefore, do not express yearning in an emotional voice after the privileges of others, nor suggest it secretly to the mind, but long for the bounty of Providence and show that you have fulfilled the requirements for deserving what you prayed for; Allah is ever 'Alimun of all in all

[33] To all and each have We determined successors lawfully entitled to inherit what the parents and the kindred have left. But you must dutifully honour the pledges you vowed in the past to others in good will (heir presumptive, a slave released from bondage or a Muslim immigrant, whose right to the apportioned share of the heritage must not be defeated by a nearer heir), and keep in mind that Allah is Shahidun (a witness to all things)

[34] Men are the tutelary guardians of women's interests and welfare by consequence of, the inherent constitutional qualities and attributes Allah has invested in one, above the other, and by virtue of the expenditure they incur. Virtuous women are obedient and' responsible, morally accountable for their deeds and capable of fulfilling an obligation and trust in their husbands' absence; virtues that accord well with divine principles. As to those of them whom you consider pervasive and you have a cause to fear, you simply exhort them and urge them by kind words to laudable conduct. Should they turn a deaf ear then absent yourselves from their society in bed. If they still sleep in the bed they have made, then beat them. But if they submit to your good will at any stage and surrender themselves to correction, then do not crush their feelings, their minds or their spirits; nor keep them under tyrannical exercise of power or burden them with cruel and unjust impositions or restraints; Allah is ever the Unique Whose attributes belong to the highest regions of thought and reality, the Unique Who is ever eminently entitled to the designation: The Supreme

[35] And if you suspect a breaking of union or continuity between them or impending ruptured relations, then you may choose an arbitrator from his (husband's) side and an arbitrator from her (wife's) side, to whom both parties agree to refer their claims, in order to obtain an equitable decision. Should they both (man and wife) be willing to reconcile their differences and quarrels, then Allah shall reconcile them with their own hearts and make sympathy of love unite their thoughts; Allah has always been 'Alimun, and Khabirun (well acquainted with all that you are doing)

[36] And worship Allah and do not incorporate with Him other deities, and commit your parents to your kind care and display to them and to the kindred who are related by blood and to the orphans a friendly and kind disposition. A similar disposition is extended to the poor and to the neighbour related or immediate, to the associate and to the wayfarer, and to those on-hand, whether they be captives or reduced to servile state. And do realize that Allah detests every boastful who exalts himself unduly and displays inordinate self-esteem

[37] Those who are miserly, unwilling to give in benevolence or spend in divine service and induce others to be mean and parsimonious, and hide Allah's grace in whom it abounds, have in effect permitted the forbidden and commended it to others. We have prepared for those who bid defiance to Allah and rise defiant against His ordinances a condign and humiliating punishment

[38] And those who spend of their wealth ostentatiously under the garb of benevolence only to attract notice and to win the admiration of people while in fact they believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day, have bound themselves to their wicked kind and walked in the footsteps of those with characteristics befitting AL-Shaytan. And he who associates himself with the Devil, has in fact espoused evil, and evil indeed. Is the companion

[39] What would they -the infidels- lose should they recognize Allah and be disposed to believe in the Last Day, and spend in divine service of what Allah has bestowed on them! Indeed Allah is ever aware of them, 'Alimun of all that they do

[40] Allah is He who established the principle of Justice and established Himself as the fundamental and infinite source of justice; would He be unjust! Never in the least does Allah wrong anyone for the equivalent of an atom. And to induce people to justice, He mercifully requites the pious deed with. double what is commensurable with it, and He requites those who are faithful to Him with a great reward

[41] How will it be if and when We call. Upon the Messenger of every nation to bear witness to his people's deeds, and We call upon you O Muhammad to bear witness to these people's actions

[42] There and then shall those who denied Allah and/or His statutes and disobeyed the Messenger, wish they could be leveled in the dust, and not one fact can they hide from Allah. Intoxicants were forbidden in stages, here and elsewhere: 2:219, 5:90/91 If on the road and spiritually unconditioned and there is no water to bathe, then ablution -real or metaphoric - becomes an obligation

[43] O you who conformed to Islam: Do not engage in the act of worship while you are under the influence of intoxicants nor pray when you are spiritually unconditioned, unless you are on the road, until you have bathed. And if you are sick or on the road or have defecated or touched women and the sensation or contact stirred you to passion, and you did not find water for ablution, then metaphoric ablution be a religious rite: apply clean sand, dust or dry earth lightly to your faces and hands; Allah is ever 'Afawun (Indulgent) and Ghafurun

[44] Have you not seen O Muhammad into the irreverent disposition of those who had their share of the Book and of divine Knowledge, (Ahl al-Kitab), how they exchange the guidance of Providence to the path of righteousness for the perplexed path in the maze of error and wish you would alienate you from the purpose of Allah and err and stray from the path of righteousness

[45] Allah knows best those who are at enmity with you who seek to injure you and afflict you, if they could, with an irretrievable disaster. But enough is Allah to be your Tutelary Guardian and enough be He to afford you help

[46] Among those who are imbued with Judaism are some who translocation the words of the Sacred Scriptures to alter the intended sense of Allah's words. And they interpret their thoughts in words and in deeds; they say to you O Muhammad: "We have opened our hearts’ ears but their actions in fact to their words do not accord, featuring disobedience to which they give voice and insolently say: "We disobey". And they direct to you the words superficially denoting politeness and deep respect that you think they are saying: "We need you to apply your mind and your ears to us, and you are excused if you do not listen, but please attend to us." In point of fact the way they pronounce the words with their tongues in their cheeks (or in Hebrew) admits of secondary bad meaning and insult of the religion, thus: Listen, may you never hear and be afflicted with deafness, you are a thoughtless bad one. But had they said: "We open to you our hearts' ears and we obey, please listen to us and “unzurna” and direct your intellectual eye upon us;" it would have been much better for them and indeed honourable. But Allah has cursed them for their disobedience and their infidelity; how greatly shaken is their faith in Allah

[47] O you to whom the Book had been given -Ahl al-Kitab-: Give credence to the Book -the Quran- We have revealed to Our Messenger Muhammad, corroborating and authoritatively validating the authentic Book AL-Tawrah you hold in possession, before We expunge faces, and wipe out their features beyond recognition and eclipse their splendour, or afflict you with such evils as indicate divine wrath and a malignant fate just as We had cursed those who broke the Sabbath Allah's. command has always come to pass

[48] Never shall Allah forgive the impious irreverence of incorporating with Him other deities, but He forgives all else to whom He will. And he who incorporates with Allah other deities shall have committed the most heinous sin

[49] Have you not seen Muhammad into the manner of those who vindicate themselves and justify their wrongs! But indeed it is only Allah Who has the absolute authority to vindicate whom He will, and no one is ever wronged not even to the equivalent of a single hair of the dry integument of the smallest seed

[50] Look how they forge lies against Allah and criminally relate to Him falsehood which is enough to be sin personified

[51] Have you not seen O Muhammad into the irreverent disposition of those who had their share of the Book and of divine knowledge -Ahl AL-Kitab- how they are strongly disposed to believe in falsehood rendering idolatrous worship to idols, priests, necromancers and to the Devil, and regard the infidels with admiration and consider them the guide - posts of faith when compared to those who took Providence their guide

[52] These are they whom Allah has afflicted with such evils as indicate divine wrath and a malignant fate. He whom Allah has cursed shall find no one to afford him help

[53] Or did they go shares with Allah in His sovereignty over the universe! But if they did, they would never have bestowed on mankind even as little as the speck in a date stone; they cannot bear to see others invested with privileges

[54] Or do they envy people and regard their divine-given privileges with discontent! But We bestowed on Ibrahim (Abraham) and his family the divine prerogative of Prophethood, the Book and the wisdom that go with it and privileged them with sovereignty and a great kingdom

[55] And among those to whom Ibrahim was sent, were some who recognized him and gave credence. to his faith, and others who declined to accept him. And enough is Hell to lay claim to those infidels to infuriate its blazes

[56] Those who deny Our revelations and refuse to recognize Our signs serving to demonstrate divine, Omnipotence and Authority shall be put to torture; We will expose them to the protracted and dreadful conflagration. As often as their skins* are consumed, We replace them with new skins so that they taste the merciless but just punishment. Indeed Allah has always been Qadirun (Omnipotent) and Hakimun

[57] But those who believed with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds with wisdom and piety shall be recipients of Allah's mercy and. blessings. We will welcome them into gardens beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity. They shall be companioned with mates of their design, pure, chaste and holy, fellows of their piety, and shall be overshadowed with Allah's gracious wing affording security and protection while they experience, with great delight, the promised eternal bliss

[58] Allah commands you to characterize yourselves with habitual reverence, obedience and piety and to restore the property and whatever you hold in trust, be, it from Allah or from people, to those who have the rightful claim to it and or -to those who have invested you with the trust. And exercise justice when you sit in judgement upon people, and be consonant with the principles of moral right and in accordance with reason and fact. Allah enjoins only what is right and sound; how morally excellent is what He exhorts you to do; Allah has always been Sami’un with (unlimited audition), and Bassirun, (He sees all that you do)

[59] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: Obey Allah and be submissive to His will and obey the Messenger who is the only medium through whom Allah's guidance, command, ordinance and word are conveyed and expressed. And obey those among you who are invested with authority. Nonetheless, should you seem resolved to dispute any subject or a concern, then resort to Allah’s Book –the Quran– and betake yourselves to the Messenger for aid if in fact your hearts have been impressed with image of religious and spiritual virtues and you are strongly disposed to believe that the Last Day is comfortable to reality. This is a wise course of action ensuring safety and leading to the intended purpose

[60] Have you seen O Muhammad into the irreverent disposition of those who allege that they have given credence to all that has been revealed to you and to all that has been revealed to Messengers before you, how they wish to resort to the Devil and to false deities for judgement of their disputes! Yet they have been commanded to reject and renounce every deity besides Allah. But AL-Shaytan and those with characteristics befitting him intend to lead them by the nose into the maze of error

[61] When advised to resort to the canon law sent by Allah to be the standard for judgement and to betake themselves to you -the Messenger- for aid, you see the hypocrites, actuated by repugnance, turn away their faces, their eyes and their thoughts from you

[62] And so, how will it be if and when they are befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity in consequence of what their wrongful and unclean hands. have committed! There and then they shall betake themselves to you making a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah that they meant nothing but peace upon earth and concord and good will unto men

[63] These and such persons are they upon whom wickedness prevails; Allah is 'Alimun of the irreverence mustering to their hearts. Therefore, disregard O Muhammad what they say and exhort them and discourse them on practical divinity by words piercing their ears, their hearts and their feelings and touching their innermost being

[64] Never did We send a Messenger but to be obeyed, Allah willing, and had they turned to Allah as soon as they had wronged themselves and betaken themselves to you to declare their invocation to Allah for forgiveness, and the Messenger -you Muhammad- had invoked Allah, on their behalf, for mercy and forgiveness, they would have found Allah Tawabun and Rahimun

[65] But never, by Allah, your Creator, shall they be recognized as Muslims and be sanctioned by all solemnities of religion until they have willingly accepted you as the judge and/or the arbitrator. and accepted your judgement and submitted to your authority with submissive reverence, and reasoned high of Providence

[66] And had Allah enjoined them to sacrifice their lives in His cause or to go out of their homes to fight against positive unbelief, they would not have obeyed the injunction with the exception of a few. Had they obeyed Allah's authoritative admonition, it would have been much better for them here and Hereafter. Such obedience would have confirmed their peace and position of authority and deep joy would have settled on their spirits

[67] There and then they would have merited a great reward from heaven's realm

[68] And moral straightness and the path of righteousness would have been all before them and, Providence their guide

[69] He who obeys Allah and His Messenger shall be a recipient of Allah's mercy and blessings. Such persons shall be placed in the distinguished position of those in whom all divine grace abounds: the Prophets, the veracious, the martyrs and the pious in a world perverse, and how celebrated is the society

[70] Such a distinguished position is a manifestation of Allah's grace, and enough is Allah to be 'Alimun of all in all

[71] O you who have conformed to Islam: Take all precautions to provide against a surprise party and advance in single battalions or advance in regiment

[72] Among you are those who detach themselves from your regiment in thought and action that if you happen to suffer loss or be wedded to a calamity, any one of them would say "Allah has been gracious to me, for I was guided by intuition to engage myself in a skirmish and irregular encounter and detach myself from the pursuit of their hostile action

[73] But should victory sit on your helm, he interprets his thoughts in words, as if he is not bound by ties of affection, blood, interests or circumstances or with some fact or series of facts or attributes into which you both enter; he says "I wish I were a part of them, I would have achieved a great victory

[74] Since among you O Muslims are the like of these aforementioned whose faith in Allah is greatly shaken, then let those of you who have the world all before them but choose to exchange it for the better world in heaven's realm Hereafter fight in the cause of Allah. Whether they lose their lives or victory sits on their helm, they shall merit Our blessings and We will repay them an imposingly beautiful reward

[75] And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah when the helpless and the oppressed among the men, the women and the children give voice to their emotion and appeal to Allah for aid; they pray: "We pray and beseech you, O Allah, our Creator, to deliver us out of this City (Macca) whose inhabitants are espoused to tyranny and oppression, and confer on us Your tutelage and afford us Your help

[76] Those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand fight in the cause of Allah whereas those who deny Allah and lose sight of Him, fight in the cause of the Devil. Therefore, fight O you Muslims the advocates of the irreverent system of worship instituted by AL-Shaytan who holds out his hand and they give their own. Indeed the cunning of AL-Shaytan is taken for a poor crooked wisdom

[77] Have you not seen O Muhammad into the disposition of those who were told to put a restraint upon their desire for fighting and observe faithfully the act of worship and give Zakat (alms), for Zakat is but the vehicle of prayer, yet when time was ripe and fighting was enjoined, some of them came to be apprehensive about their involvement in battle for fear of their lives. They feared the enemy –to a degree comparable to the degree of fear due to Allah–Creator of all beings or even a degree higher, and they exclaimed against fighting; they said: "O Allah, our Creator, why enjoin us to fight and implant our Hereafter in the now; if only You would put fighting in respite and grant us a postponement of this obligation to a future date!" Say to them O Muhammad: "The enjoyment experienced here below, no matter how long it lasts, is fleeting and evanescent whereas the Hereafter abounds in the best enjoyments and everlasting bliss for those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, and no one is ever wronged not even to the equivalent of a single hair of the dry integument of the smallest seed

[78] Wherever you may be you shall be caught in the jaws of death even if you happen to be in fortresses fortified against confounding ages cruel knife. Yet when good fortune falls in their way, they -your people– relate it to Allah, and if they are befallen with a misfortune they relate it to you O Muhammad. Say to them: "All happenings, good or bad, are authorized by Allah." What ails these people that they hardly comprehend a discourse of reason

[79] In effect whatever good fortune betide you is endowed with grace from the bounty of Providence, and whatever misfortune befalls you is the consequence of your own doings. We have sent you O Muhammad to the people as a Messenger, and enough is Allah to be a witness to all deeds and to the way they are effected

[80] He who obeys the Messenger has in effect obeyed Allah, and he who turns a deaf ear must realize that We did not send you to watch over their innocence and folly

[81] They -whose faith is greatly shaken- show obedience in your presence O Muhammad and say to you: "We obey all that you exhort us to do." But when they depart from where you are, some of them design by night a scheme of action not in accord with your principles, and Allah puts in writing all that they propose to do. Therefore, disregard them and rely upon Allah, and enough is He to be your Tutelary Guardian Who exercises protecting vigilance over you

[82] Do they not ponder the Quran! If it were revealed from a source other than Allah, they would have found it abounding in discrepancies and variations

[83] When -these people- learn by credible or incredible information a subject or report or talk to the credit of the Muslims or against them, they spread it as news and circulate it by way of rumour. Had they referred it to the Messenger and, in his absence, to those in authority among them, it would have been in accordance with divine standard. The Messenger and/or those in authority would have intelligently examined the news and rationalized the matter and would have known the facts and placed them in their true bearings. Had it not been for Allah's efficacious grace and mercy abounding in you, you people would have been attracted to AL-Shaytan and espoused the opinions of those with characteristics befitting him, except a few

[84] Therefore, fight O Muhammad in the cause of Allah; you are not responsible for anyone but yourself, But incite those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand to make war against positive unbelief; perhaps Allah may curb the hostile appetite of those infidels who wish to display their might against you. Allah's Omnipotence infinitely exceeds man's might and when He avenges His right He strikes at the root

[85] He who mediates or intervenes for the purpose of reconciling persons shall have a share of his good grace allotted to him by Providence. And he who mediates with a bad grace and for the purpose of an evil cause and/or selfish motive principles shall share the consequences of his ill grace. There is Providence that watches over innocence and folly, and keeps a vigilant eye upon everything and every action

[86] When you are greeted with words or gestures, acknowledge the greeting with a more courteous recognition or at least return the same formula; it is an obligation. Allah has always taken account of all things and all actions

[87] Allah there is no Ilah but He, shall inevitably gather you all on the Day of Resurrection, the Day which admits no doubt; and who is more truthful in his discourse than Allah

[88] How can you -Muslims- get to be divided in thought and in feeling, some in favour of and some against the hypocrites and you class injustice with wisdom and virtue, when Allah has already grouped them together under the. class – Infidels- for their common attributes and their qualities and actions which have earned Allah's hatred! Do you wish to guide those whom Allah has declined to guide to His path of righteousness! He whom Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness shall no one be able to guide thereto

[89] They wished you would desert faith in favour of disbelief and be infidel as they are so that you be both alike. Therefore, do not make a friendly intimacy with them until they have emigrated as purposed by Allah and be resolved to fight in His cause. Should they turn a deaf ear, then beset them on all sides. and kill them wherever you find them and join none of them in intimacy nor lean upon any of them to afford you help

[90] But exempt from aforesaid prescriptive right are those of them -the hypocrites- who take refuge with or are related to a people with whom you are bound by a covenant relating to peace, truce, alliance or the like or -those of them- who are perplexed by reason of their kinship to your opponents; they do not have the heart to fight on your side against their people nor to side with their people-against you. Had Allah willed, He, would have instigated them against you, and then they would have waged war against you. Therefore, if they are disposed to let you alone, proceed no further and offer you peace, then leave them alone; Allah does not commit you to any line of action against them

[91] You shall also find others -hypocrites,- who wish to win your confidence as well as the confidence of their people - double face -; if victory sits on your helm, they apply their hearts to you, and if it sits on their people's helm, they apply their hearts to them and return to insurrection wherein they sink into vice under the vexations of their winds. Since, you have no binding agreement with their people, then unless they let you alone and proceed no further, offer you peace and curb their hostile appetite and withhold their wrongful hands, then beset them on all sides, kill them wherever you find them or whenever you gain mastery over them; Allah gives you, against them, a free hand and a complete liberty of action

[92] Observe particularly: It is not right for a believer who has conformed to Islam to kill another believer of the same law unless it be by mistake. And he who kills a Muslim by chance and guilt does not reside in the intention shall run into some consequences in expiation of his wrong, thus

[93] And he who kills a believer who has conformed to Islam and the guilt resides in the intention, shall be destined to Hell wherein he will have passed through nature to eternal suffering and he will have come within the measure of Allah's wrath and curse; this is besides the torment prepared by Providence to lay upon the damned

[94] O you who have conformed to Islam: When you journey into a foreign land in Allah's cause, you must distinguish by the sight and by other senses the disposition of the people whether or not they have conformed to Islam lest you spoil your best designs by faulty actuation. Nor should you say to anyone who greets you: "You are not a Muslim;" prompted by selfish motive principles of considering him a fit subject for plunder, in quest of the fleeting and evanescent glory of life below when glory, valuables, possessions and all graces abound in heaven's realm. Remember, if he is not a believer in Allah, thus were you before but Allah graced you with guidance to His path of righteousness. Therefore, discern the truth from what is false; Allah is ever 'Alimun of all that you do

[95] They are not alike, the stay-at-home for no valid reason (sickness, trouble and the like) and those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has invested those who strove with their wealth and their lives in His cause with special distinctions a step higher in the scale of dignity and rank than that He invested in the stay-at-home. Yet both did Allah promise efficacious grace effecting the end for which it is given. But those who strive shall Allah distinguish from the stay-at-home by quite a rich reward

[96] These are grades of quality, disposition and attributes as determined and conferred by Him besides forgiveness and mercy, and Allah has always been ever Ghafurun and Rahimun

[97] Those who are caught in the Jaws of death discrediting themselves with wrongful actions shall be questioned by the angels of death who disembody their souls, thus: "What has become of you, and what was your reaction to oppression and humiliation?" "The powerful citizens, oppressed the weak by tyrannical exercise of power" answer the wrongful "Was Allah's earth not extensive enough, to migrate into another country and come to settle therein!" ask the angels. Such persons are destined to Hell, and evil indeed is the intended end

[98] But exempt from this -scheme of classification relative to the stay- at home are the men who are deficient in bodily vigour through age, the women and the children who are deficient in bodily or muscular strength who have no stratagem to use against the enemy or be able to lead in a course of action nor determine the course of events

[99] Such persons may be excused, and Allah may hopefully give up resentment against them; Allah has always been 'Afuwan and Ghafurun

[100] And he who emigrates in the cause of Allah (because of persecution, oppression or the like) shall find a good many places of refuge and abounding resources. and he who quits his homeland with the motive principle of serving Allah's purpose and subserving His Messenger shall win Allah's grace. And if it happens that he comes upon the encounter with death on the way, before he has reached his destination he shall be graced just the same; his reward has thus early been incumbent on Allah

[101] And if you journey into a foreign land, be it in the cause of Allah or for any other purpose, you incur no guilt if you should shorten your prayer (one time kneeling, twice prostrating performed twice instead of three or four times), that is if you fear you might be exposed to a willfully inflicted injury by those who are an open enemy of the faith. Therefore, be cautious; the infidels are indeed your avowed enemy

[102] And if you Muhammad happen to be with them -the Muslims- and it is time to observe a scheduled prayer, then you perform your act of worship as herein indicated: "You lead the prayer with some of them (first group) who shall remain carrying their weapons while the others (second group) stand sentinel to keep guard ever you in the rear. When you have completed the first division-one time kneeling, twice prostrating then the first group withdraws to the rear to replace those in the second group who now join you during your second division at the end of which you Muhammad will have completed your two divisions Now there remains one division for each group to perform. The first group (armed) now performs the second division with the second group standing guard over them in the rear. Then both groups reverse their position until each group will have completed their two divisions being cautious at all times. The infidels wish you would neglect your arms and your equipment so that they attack you once for all. Yet you are absolved to lay down your arms if it rains or if you fall sick, but be constantly on your guard. Allah has prepared for the infidels a tormenting punishment humiliating indeed

[103] When you have completed your prayer, you keep remembering Allah and bearing Him in mind standing, sitting and lying on your sides. Evoking reminiscence of Allah inspires to the hearts and minds a state, of composure. However, when you feel safe and secure, you then perform the act of worship in the proper manner as prescribed by Allah, for the act of worship has been a prescriptive rule incumbent on those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand to observe at the scheduled hours

[104] And do not relax in point of strictness and severity nor weaken in your fighting power against those who are an open enemy of the faith. If you are suffering misery and hardship, they are suffering just the same, but unlike them, you are hopeful of Allah's tutelage, mercy and blessings whereas they are staking their very lives on some dark hope. And Allah is ever 'Alimun and Hakimun

[105] We have revealed to you O Muhammad the Book –the Quran– in truth and in agreement with reality so that you Judge between the people in the manner shown to you by Allah. And so do not be deceived by the wicked who attempt to prejudice you and deceive you into using your authority to favour and vindicate those characterized with treachery

[106] And invoke Allah's forgiveness; Allah has always been ever Ghafurun and Rahimun

[107] Nor should you plead on behalf of those who deceive their own minds, their views and their hopes and assert what is false and lead others into error; Allah detests the one who deceitfully violates faith and betrays trust, whose name has become a byword of perfidy and crime

[108] They hide their evil deeds to conceal them from the notice of others, but how can they conceal them from the notice of Allah when He is Omnipresent. Their reasoning when they are alone. at night admits a discourse to their dishonesty and to their disposition against the principles of Allah. But Allah's Omnipresence besets them on all sides and it follows that He has always been Cognizant of all that they do

[109] There, you people have pleaded on their behalf here below, but who is going to plead on their behalf on the Day they rise again and come to Allah's final judgment, or who shall then take them under his tutelage and be their defender

[110] Yet he who commits himself to an evil line of conduct or wrongs himself and invokes Allah's forgiveness and mercy, shall find Allah has always been ever Ghafurun and Rahimun

[111] And he who commits himself to an evil line of conduct will have in effect committed it but against his own soul and to the hurt of his own interest and Allah has always been ever 'Alimun and Hakimun

[112] And he who makes a mistake or does something in a manner contrary to equity and uprightness or commits a crime and hides his guilty front with innocent snow and throws the blame or lays it on someone who is innocent, shall have burdened himself with, the guilt of intentional assertion of falsehood and of standing before Allah manifest of crime

[113] And had it not been for Allah's efficacious grace and mercy abounding in you Muhammad some of those who mistake their way and do not employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions would have resolved to lead you in the wrong, when in fact they will only mislead themselves. Nor, even though they desire to harm you, can they get you into harm's way. Allah has revealed to you the Book -the Quran- to guide you and acquaint your heart with wisdom and He imparted to you the knowledge of what you at no time knew, and Allah's grace and blessings on you have been indeed abounding

[114] There is nothing useful nor reliable for a purpose or efficient in a function in much of their secret counsel and in the thoughts they convey reciprocally in talk uttered below their breath unless it be in accord with wisdom and piety that it enjoins benevolence, equity and the inducement to peace among people and the principles of justice. And he whose lines of character are broad and clear as to feature willingness to comply with divine principles for the sake of piety shall be a recipient of Allah's grace; We will requite him with a great reward

[115] And he who contends with the Messenger with opposing arguments after he has clearly sensed the spirit of truth guiding into all truth and follows a path other than that followed by those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand and Providence their guide shall be a great loser. We will confirm him in the horrid purpose he has chosen for himself and will confix him to a dreadful conflagration. And evil indeed is the intended end

[116] Never shall, Allah forgive the impious irreverence of incorporating with Him other deities, but He forgives all else to whom He will. And he who incorporates with Allah other deities shall have lost himself in the maze of error

[117] They simply pay reverence and veneration to idols designated by female appellations -goddesses- and invoke them besides Allah. It is a visible manifestation of Al-Shaytan and an attribute they wear chiefly by his instrumentality. In fact they invoke and reverence none but the Devil who is evil personified

[118] Allah has cursed him and afflicted him with such evils as indicate divine wrath and a malignant fate. His insolence was such as to promise, Allah to incite a determinate number of His servants to evil

[119] I will lead them wrong," he said, "and I will lead them by the nose to an evil line of conduct and arouse in them vain desires and stir up their sinful sensuous appetite." "I will command them to receive the pagan superstition and slit and cut the ears of cattle and I will command them to change the course and order of things wherein they were set at the creation." And he who puts himself under the tutelage of AL-Shaytan besides Allah, shall have been a great loser

[120] He promises them and arouses in them vain desires when in fact he promises them only what is vain, deceptive and deluding

[121] Such persons are destined to make abode in Hell whereat the flames shall lay upon them a sure watch that they just cannot escape

[122] But those who conformed to the will of Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds with wisdom and piety shall be requited with what is commensurate with their deeds. We will welcome them into gardens of bliss beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity, a solemn promise made by Allah, and who is more truthful in his discourse than Allah Who is truth personified

[123] Hope springs eternal in the human breast; the hope of some reward whether merited or unmerited, peculiar to man, is a desire with expectation not according with Allah's legislative and religious code. Therefore, it is neither according to your desires O Muslims nor is it according to the desires of Ahl AL-Kitab (Jews and Christians) that Allah proceeds. He who commits himself to an evil line of conduct shall be punished for it and suffer for his offence; he shall not find besides Allah a tutelary guardian nor can anyone afford him help

[124] And whoever, a male or a female with a faithful heart, in all manner of wisdom and piety does something involving effort to gain one's livelihood. or to perform a function, or acting upon the feelings of others or for any purpose so as to gain an end. shall be a recipient of Allah's mercy and blessings. Such persons shall be heartily welcomed into Paradise and never shall they be wronged not even as little as the speck in a date stone

[125] And who has a better cosign of vantage affording piety of action and system of faith and worship than he who surrenders himself, his purpose and his reason to Allah. conforming his will to Allah's will while he imprints his deeds with wisdom and piety and follows the system of faith and worship of Ibrahim the orthodox Muslim, whom Allah has distinguished by His unique tutelary friendship

[126] And to Allah belong all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and Allah has always been Cognizant of all things

[127] And they – those who conformed to Islam - seek counsel from you O Muhammad concerning women; how to act toward them and deal Justly with them! Say to them: "Allah's decretal reply to your question, relative to women, is formally announced," “Instructions have been recited to you from the Book -the Quran–". Further instructions concern the female orphans to whom you deny their due and whom you wish to marry: "It is not right to take advantage of their helpless position nor of the helpless position of all those who are young." "And you must deal justly with orphans and exercise your authority in maintenance of their right. And whatever deed you imprint with wisdom and piety is an honourable deed, it always comes to Allah’s knowledge

[128] And if a woman be apprehensive about her husband's ill treatment and she fears his aversion and cruelty or desertion, they incur no blame should they reconcile their quarrel and reconcile themselves with their own hearts and with Allah, for, the action of reconciling persons is consistent with piety. What prejudice the minds are greed or cupidity and non-admission of a point claimed in argument or of conceding anything asked or required. But if you turn your thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, you shall find that Allah has always been Khabirun of all that you do

[129] You shall never be able to do equity and justice to women in case of plurality of wives however much you wish, in good conscience, to do so. Therefore, do not disincline yourselves altogether from any of them acting upon your volition or upon a stronger volition than your own to keep her in suspense and mental anguish. And if you set estranged persons at one again and bring them back into concord and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, you shall find that Allah has always been ever Ghafurun and Rahimun

[130] And should they decide to separate and bring to an end their conjugal cohabitation, then Allah shall make them independent of each other. He will compensate to each of them out of His bounty which flows freely and abundantly from the fountains of His grace what has been lost. Great, is Allah the Creator; He has always been Wasi’un (Omnipresent), His mercy is vast and Hakimun, His wisdom infinite

[131] And to Allah belong all that is in the heavens and that is on earth, and We have enjoined those who were given the Book before you -Ahl AL-Kitab- as well as you Muslims to entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah. And if you should deny Allah and refuse to acknowledge His infinite Authority, then you must realize that to Allah belong all that is in the heavens and all, that is on earth, and Allah has always been Ghaniyun (Independent), (Absolute), and Hamidun (Worthy of all praise); His grace abounds in the universe

[132] And to Allah belong all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and enough is Allah to be your Tutelary Guardian Who exercises protecting vigilance over you

[133] If He wills, He can do away with you people and replace you, by others; and Allah is ever Qadirun to bring this to effect

[134] And whoever sets his mind upon the mundane things which minister to his enjoyment and content here below must realize that in heaven's realm does Allah have all that ministers to his enjoyment and content here below and all the divine things which conduce to His mercy and grace Hereafter; Allah has always been ever Sami’un and Bassirun with unlimited audition, He sees all that you do

[135] O you who have conformed to Islam: "Charge yourselves with equity and recourse to the principles of justice and exercise your authority and power in maintenance of right, though it may be against yourselves, your parents, or your kindred, and do not be inclined to favour the rich for a gain nor the poor for sympathy. Rich or poor as they may be, Allah is He who is more capable of guarding their interests. Therefore, do not be influenced by emotion nor let the ruling passion conquer reason and sway you from justice. And if you should swerve from this course of action or turn a deaf ear, you must realize that Allah has always been ever Khabirun of all that you do

[136] O you who have conformed to Islam: Believe in Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, and acknowledge His Messenger and give credence to the Book He has sent down to him- the Quran- and to the Book He sent down before. And he, who denies Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Day of Resurrection, shall have erred and strayed far deep in the maze of error

[137] Indeed, those who conformed to Islam then turned renegades, then again conformed to Islam and again went over from Islam and sank deeply in disbelief under the unjustifiable vexations of their minds and spirit shall be undone past all retrieve whichever way they turn. Never shall Allah forgive them nor guide them to the path of righteousness

[138] Announce O Muhammad to the hypocrites that they must expect a condign punishment

[139] Those of you who take the infidels who deny Allah as intimate friends and favour their tutelage to that of their co-religionists who are of the same law, had better pause to think. Do they seek honour and power at their hands and pride themselves in so doing! But all power, omnipotence and honour rest on the helm of Allah's hands

[140] Allah has instructed you in the Book -the Quran- He revealed to you, thus: "Should you happen to hear Allah's revelations challenged and denied and held up to ridicule by those who were born to be losers, then you do not keep company with them until they have changed the subject of conversation and virtue and wisdom no longer sit in want, lest you be alike." Allah shall gather the hypocrites and the infidels who deny Him all together in the kingdom of Hell

[141] Such persons are they who watch you closely and they are on the watch for opportunities. If Allah graces you with His tutelage and victory sits on your helm, they desire with expectation to share the credit and they interpret their thoughts in words; they say to you: "Have we not been on your side!" And if the infidels who deny Allah are befallen with good fortune they say to them: "Did we not back you up and avert the disaster which would have befallen you at the hands of the Muslims?" Allah shall judge between you on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement and never shall Allah advantage the cause of the infidels over that of the Muslims

[142] The hypocrites represent to themselves in imagination that they deceive Allah, while He is 'Alimun of all their doings and only gives them enough rope to allow them free scope of action in order that they commit themselves to an evil line of conduct. When they stand to perform their act of worship they are dispirited and despondent; they perform their prayer only to attract notice and win the admiration of people, while in truth they hardly remember Allah

[143] Reticent, they are swayed, in their opinions and their actions, in their conduct and in their thoughts between you people - the Muslims - and their people - the infidels - while in truth they belong neither to you nor to them. And he whom Allah does not guide to the path of righteousness, never shall you find out a way to guide him thereto

[144] O you who have conformed to Islam: Do not, take the infidels who deny, Allah as intimate friends and favour their tutelage to that of your co-religionists who are of the same law. Would you like that Allah takes a fault upon you and then He shall have a justifying reason to punish you

[145] Indeed, the hypocrites are destined to the abode in the deep bottomless abyss of Hell, and never shall you find anyone to afford them help

[146] But such a misfortune would be cancelled in favour of those who repent, amend and declare the truth and turn their minds to Allah and choose to be under His tutelage and faithfully conform to Allah's system of faith and worship. Such persons, shall Allah include in the circle of those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand, and Allah shall requite the faithful who are firm in fidelity and allegiance to Him a great reward

[147] Pause here - you people - and think What advantage or benefit does Allah derive from inflicting punishment on you if you impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness and conform your will to His will! Indeed Allah has always acknowledged what is esteemed a worthy deed; and He is 'Alimun

[148] Allah abhors words uttered in immoral manner and detests open contempt cast at others unless it be redressing grievances, and Allah is ever Sami’un with unlimited audition, and 'Alimun

[149] Whether you make your wise and pious deed publicly known or you conceal it from the notice of others, or if you forgive and give up resentment against an offender and/or remit the penalty of an offense, you must realize that Allah has always been 'Afawun, and Qadirun

[150] Indeed, those who deny Allah and refuse to acknowledge His Messengers and wish to dissociate them from Allah asunder in thought and in reverence and interpret their thoughts in words that they recognize some and decline to accept others, and wish to take a middle course, are they who were born to be losers

[151] These and such persons are the infidels indeed, and We have. prepared for the infidels who deny the truth and intentionally assert what is false a condign and humiliating punishment

[152] Whereas those who believe in Allah and recognize His Messengers with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, and do not discriminate one from another, shall be recipients of the grace of Allah Who shall requite them with what is commensurate with their deeds, and Allah has always been Ghafurun, and Rahimun

[153] And insolently do Ahl al-Kitab (the Jews) ask you O Muhammad for a Book that you would cause to descend upon them from heaven! But greater was their irreverence to Mussa (Moses) whom they asked to show them Allah personally so that they perceive Him by sight. There and then did heaven thunder against them and the fearful echoes thundered in their ears in consequence of their blasphemy against Allah. And worse was the reverence and veneration they paid to the calf which they worshipped and adored besides Allah. And this odd disposition, strangely ran in their heads after they had received enough signs to guide them out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment Yet We pardoned them and remitted the penalty of their serious offence and We conferred on Mussa delegated power and made him stand manifest of authority

[154] And We stabilized the Mount above them when it shook with such fits of awe for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah as We made a covenant with them, and We said to them: “Make entry into this town AL-Quds (Jerusalem) but humble yourselves and bow your knees to Me as you go through the gate." And We said to them: "Do not break the Sabbath We set apart for rest and worship," and We entered with them into a paramount covenant and they, with a strong oath, expressed their obligation and solemn promise to bind themselves by it

[155] Yet, set to their discredit were such crimes that brought them within the measure of Allah's wrath

[156] Also, their infidelity and their slanderous discourse against Maryam - Blessed Virgin Mary- ( B.V.M)

[157] And their false allegation that they slew the Messiah, Isa, the son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah, when in fact they never killed him nor did they crucify him but they thought they did (See introduction). And those who disputed his fate were themselves in a state of uncertainty as to the truth and reality of the incident; their belief was based on empty knowledge and their supposition was formed on grounds admittedly insufficient, for indeed they just did not slay him but the guilt nevertheless resided in the intention

[158] But Allah had taken him up to His August presence, and Allah has always been Azizun (almighty) and Hakimun

[159] And there is no one, among Ahl al-Kitab but shall realize the truth of his - Isa's - mission at his descent to earth before his death - pining regrets and vain repentance - (The favoured view). And in Day of Judgment shall he - Isa - be a witness against them

[160] And in consequence of their iniquities and wrongful actions, We denied them some good and wholesome victuals which were lawful to them aforetime, not to mention their frequent standing in the way to pervert Allah's spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth

[161] Also, their ill gotten gain from usury which they have been utterly forbidden to practice and their unlawful organized scheme to eat people out of their property. And We have prepared for those of them who are disobedient rebels a condign punishment

[162] But those of them with well-founded knowledge who are acquainted with the facts, whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand, are they who give credence to all that has been revealed to you Muhammad and to all that was revealed to those who were sent before you; they constantly observe their act of worship and give alms, they believe in Allah and in the Day of Resurrection with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues. It is those whom We shall requite with a great reward

[163] We have inspired to you O Muhammad a Book and a divine message as We inspired to Nuh (Noah) and to the prophets who followed. And We inspired divine messages to Ibrahim and Ismail (Ishmael), to Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qub (Jacob) and to the tribes of his twelve sons, to Isa and Ayub (Job), to Yunus (Jonas) and Harun (Aaron) and to Sulayman. And to Dawud We imparted the Psalms

[164] And We inspired divine messages to Messengers whom We have narrated to you before and to others whom We did not narrate to you. And to Mussa did Allah speak as He exposed Himself to his - mental view and to him He declared the divine message in words

[165] Such Messengers were sent as spectacles and warnings so that people shall have no excuse nor can they hold a plea against Allah in mitigation of censure after they had been warned by Allah's Messengers. And Allah has always been Azizun and Hakimun

[166] But Allah is a witness of all that He has revealed to you O Muhammad and with it He has been associated. He sent it down by His authority and to this effect do the angels bear witness, and enough is Allah Himself to be the witness

[167] Indeed, those who denied Allah and stood in the way to prevent Allah's spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth have been led by the nose into the depth of the maze of error

[168] And those who denied Allah. and were wrongful of actions, were born to be losers; never shall Allah forgive them nor guide them to the path. of righteousness

[169] But only to the path which leads directly to Hell wherein they will have passed through nature to eternal suffering. And this is indeed quite easy for Allah to bring into effect

[170] O you people: the Messenger of Allah has come to you with the divine message of the truth authorized by Allah, therefore, you had better conform to Allah's system of faith and worship. And if you should deny Allah and the mission of His Messenger, then you must realize that to Allah belong all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and Allah has always been 'Alimun, and Hakimun

[171] O you Ahl AL-Kitab, Do not carry your religious beliefs to excess and beyond the truth, nor should you relate to Allah but the truth, Isa, the son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah, is simply His Word and edict He authoritatively proclaimed to Maryam and a spirit that proceeded from Him and was conveyed to Maryam by the Spirit Jibril (Gabriel). Therefore, you had better believe in Allah and acknowledge His Messengers and stop saying "Allah in Trinity;" this is only to your benefit. Allah is only and absolutely One, glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes; far be He beyond comprehension; His omnipotence precludes begetting a son , when all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth belong to Him. And enough is Allah to be your Tutelary Guardian Who exercises protecting vigilance over you

[172] Indeed, the Messiah, Isa, the son of Maryam, shall not turn indignant for being a servant of Allah nor shall the angels nearest to Allah. And he who turns indignant for serving Allah and becomes extravagant in his account of himself and displays inordinate self - esteem must realize that all in all shall be thronged to His August Presence in Day of Judgment

[173] But those who believed in Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds with wisdom and piety, shall Allah requite with what is commensurate with their deeds, and out of His bounty He shall complement their rewards with what runs higher than what corresponds with their piety. Whereas those who turned indignant and displayed inordinate self-esteem, He shall requite with a condign punishment, and never shall they find besides Allah a tutelary guardian, nor can anyone afford them help

[174] O you people: Now has a proof come to you from Allah, your Creator; a proof convincing the minds of Allah's Omnipotence and Authority, and We have sent down to you illumination and enlightenment

[175] Therefore, those who accepted Allah with consenting minds and chose to be under His tutelage, He shall admit their claim to His blessings and extend to them His mercy, grace them with His bounty and guide them to His path, the path of righteousness

[176] They -your people- seek counsel from you O Muhammad concerning the deceased who is childless and fatherless. Say to them: "Allah’s decretal reply to your question concerns the childless and fatherless is formally announced, thus: If a man dies and he has no child nor a father but he has a sister, then she has the rightful claim to one half of what he has left." And should the reverse be the case then he inherits all her property if she has no child. And if the deceased in question has two sisters or more, then they go share and share alike in two thirds of what he left. And if they are a mixed company of men and women - brothers and sisters, then the general principle of inheritance applies; the male inherits the equivalent of what is apportioned to two females. Allah sets forth for you in detail the principles governing hereditary succession to property so that you do not go wrong, and Allah is 'Alimun of all in all

[1] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: Keep to your word and fulfill the obligations to Allah and to one another an oath, a promise, a contract, an agreement, a duty, matrimony, conduct, an act and the like. Commandments expressed by Allah represent His will relative to the conduct of His intelligent creatures. Thus, Allah rendered lawful the flesh of camels, cows, sheep and the live animals reared for food excepting those designated forbidden. Nor are you permitted to chase wild animals or game while you are on pilgrimage -major or minor- nor in the environs of the Sacrosanct Mosque. Allah ordains what He will

[2] O you whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues: Do not desecrate Allah’s religious rites* nor violate the Sacred Month** (unless attacked) or interfere with the offerings, nor disturb the garlands mantling them identifying the sacrifice nor obstruct the way against those seeking grace, being bound for the Sacrosanct House betaking themselves to Providence for His bounty. And when you have concluded the proceedings of Allah’s religious rites and divested yourselves of the pilgrim's garb and moved away from the environs of the Sacrosanct House, you may engage in the chase if you like. And let not your hatred of a people, once your enemies who malevolently obstructed your way to the Sacrosanct House, stir your emotions to retaliate. And unite in good will to effectuate moral virtue and piety and not in sin, transgression and impiety, and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah; Who punishes severely

[3] Forbidden unto you are carrion and blood, flesh of swine and flesh of the animal found strangled and the slaughtered under the invocation of a name other than Allah’s Name, flesh of an animal beaten to death and the one that died by a fall, the gored to death and the victim to a carnivore unless it be slaughtered in time, and the flesh of the animal sacrificed on the altars –idolism-. And you are forbidden to divide meat among you by divination and raffling by arrows, this is indeed impiety. This day have the infidels lost hope of alienating you from Allah’s purpose and divine principles, Therefore, do not fear them but fear Me. Today have I complemented for you your religion and made all grace abound in you. And I have chosen for you Islam as the acceptable system of faith and worship But he who is forced, by reason of hunger and want of lawful food, to eat of the forbidden, and not by willful transgression of Allah’s commandments nor does disobedience reside in the intention, shall find Allah Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun (Merciful)

[4] They call upon you O Muhammad for information relative to what has been rendered lawful. Say to them: Allah has rendered lawful what is worthy, good and wholesome, and the prey of the trained beasts of chase - animal or bird- trained to go in chase of the game you hunt as hounds are trained in the manner Allah has taught you; you may eat the flesh of the game they catch but under the invocation of Allah’s Name over it when you release the hound and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah; Allah is swift indeed in executing the law

[5] As of this day has Allah rendered lawful for you all articles of food that are worthy, good and wholesome, and the food of Ahl AL-Kitab as your food is to them. And it is lawful for you to marry the virtuous Muslim women and women among those who had been given the Book before you(Ahl Al-Kitab) who lift to Allah their inward sight when you have paid them their due dowers intending to live together in matrimony and not as illicit partners nor as concubines. And those who reject faith shall their hopes be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness here and Hereafter where they shall be among the great losers

[6] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: When you intend to perform your act of worship, ablution becomes a duty. Wash your faces , your hands and the forearms up to the elbows, and with your wet hands wipe your heads, then wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are spiritually unconditioned following sexual congress or seminal emissions then purify yourselves to render the obligation "pure": you bathe before you pray. But if you are sick or on a journey or have defecated or touched women and the sensation of contact stirred you to passion, and you found no water, metaphoric ablution becomes a religious rite: apply clean sand, dust or dry earth lightly to your faces and hands. Allah does not intend to put you in difficulty but to set you upon the course of purity of thought and action, for the actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts. He means to make all grace abound in you that you may hopefully impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness and lift to Him your inward sight

[7] And call to mind Allah’s favour upon you and His covenant you subscribed to when you declared* that you heard and you obeyed the divine command to bind yourselves to the oath of fidelity to His Prophet. Entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah; He is indeed 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all private thoughts and feelings reposted in the breasts

[8] O you whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues : Stand guard over Allah’s purpose and make it your aim. And when you are called upon to bear witness to an incident or to a statement or the like, let your attestation be applied to the inward testimony of the conscience reflecting justice and equity. And let not your hatred of a people induce you to injustice. Assert the truth and be consonant with the principle of moral right, and remember that justice is closely associated with piety and that only the actions of the just smell sweet and blossom in the dust. And entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah; He is 'Alimun of all that you do

[9] Allah has promised forgiveness to those who believed in Him with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and with deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety. He shall pardon their past iniquities and grace them with a great meritorious reward

[10] Whereas those who rejected faith and denied Allah and refused to recognize His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority, shall be the inmates of Hell wherein they shall have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[11] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: render solemn acknowledgement of Allah’s divine favour upon you when an organized group of infidels intended to lay their violent hands upon you and He held back their hands. And entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, and in Allah should those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand put their trust

[12] And for once did We -Allah- enter into a covenant with Bani Isra‘il and We set among them twelve head men -of Ya’qub’s (Jacob’s) posterity- to set watch over the fulfillment of the divine agreement thus : "I will be with you and uphold you with the proviso that

[13] Yet, set to their discredit was the crime of breaking the divine covenant which brought them within the measure of Allah’s wrath; We poured upon them maledictions and rendered them hard-hearted. They translocation the words of the Sacred Scriptures to alter Allah’s words and willfully neglect a part of what was imparted to them. And thus still you sense O Muhammad deception as the principal ingredient in their disposition with the excepting a few among them who lift to Allah their inward sight. Nonetheless, accord them forgiveness and do not entertain them with thoughts of ill-will; Allah likes those who turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence

[14] And with those who declare themselves Christians, We entered into a covenant: Never deviate from the path of righteousness and adhere faithfully to the authentic Scriptures. But they willfully neglected a part of what was imparted to them. In consequence, We stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection. Allah shall inform them of their habitual course of action relevant to their evil deeds, and punish them accordingly

[15] O you Ahl AL-Kitab: There came to you Our Messenger to make intelligible to you much of what you have concealed of the Scriptures so that. You apprehend what is purely spiritual and intellectual, and to repeal much of what is now irrelevant. Indeed there came to you intellectual illumination and enlightenment and a Book standing manifest of glory, knowledge and spiritual light

[16] A Book, the spirit of truth guiding those who lift to Allah their inward sight into all truth, leading them to the path of safety and peace and guiding them, Allah willing, out of darkness and superstition of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into intellectual illumination and enlightenment and directing them to the path of righteousness

[17] Infidels indeed are those who declare: " Allah is the Messiah, ‘Isa, the son of Maryam". Say to them O Muhammad "Who then can restrain Allah if He willed to do away with the Messiah, ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, his mother and all those domiciled on earth! To Allah, alone, belong all that is in the heavens and on earth and all in between; He brings into being whatever He will; He is indeed Qadirun (Omnipotent) to effect all things

[18] The Jews and the Christians say: "We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones". Say to them Muhammad: "Why then does He punish you and afflict you with pain and suffering in requital for your evil deeds! Indeed you are but creatures constituting a part of those He brought into being and caused to exist. He forgives whom He will and torments whom He will. To Him alone belong all that is in the heavens and on earth and all in between. He is the end and the purpose for which all are destined

[19] O you Ahl AL-Kitab: There came to you Our Prophet after a period of time - about six hundred years- intervening between him and his predecessor, to make intelligible, to you the facts and help you abandon imagination often at war with reason and fact so that you will not claim innocence saying: "No one came to us in the capacity of a spectacle and a warning". There he is -the Prophet Muhammad- in your midst, who has been sent to you all as a spectacle and a warning, and Allah is Qadirun to effect all in all

[20] And for once Mussa (Moses) said to his people: "My people render solemn acknowledgement of Allah’s divine favour upon you; how He raised in your midst Prophets and conferred on you sovereignty and made all grace abound in you and graced you with favours and privileges and such prerogatives He never bestowed on other people

[21] My people" he added "make entry into the holy land Allah decreed it be yours, and do not turn back lest you come to be losers

[22] They said to him "O Mussa, but it is inhabited by people of great might who enforce their will, and we dare not make entry until they have departed therefrom; if they do, then we will make entry on

[23] There and then said two of the men who entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, whom Allah has graced -thought to be Yashu’ (Joshua) and Caleb; Yashu’ succeeded Mussa in leadership forty years later.- Make a sudden entry by the proper gate, and once you are in, victory shall sit on your helm. "In Allah you put your trust if indeed you believe in Him with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[24] Thus still they said to Mussa: "O Mussa, we shall never make entry therein so long as they are within; you go along with Allah, your Creator and fight them yourselves; we are staying here

[25] There and then prayed Mussa: "O Allah, my Creator", he said: "I have no jurisdiction over any but myself and my brother, we leave them to You to judge between us and those wrongful of actions and to ordain what You will

[26] In response Allah said: "Forbidden unto them shall this land be for forty years, wandering restlessly not knowing where to go nor in quest shall they know of what, Therefore, do not grieve O Mussa over those who grow daily more and more wicked

[27] And relate to -the Jews- O Muhammad, the true narrative of the two sons of Adam, -Habil and Kabil- each of them made an offering to Allah hoping to be recipients of His blessings. But Allah accepted the oblation of one and not the other. Vexed at the good fortune of his brother, the latter said to the former: "I will kill you". And there said the former: "But Allah accepts the deeds of those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[28] Should you be tempted", he continued, "to lay your violent hands upon me to kill me, never will I lay violent hands upon you to kill you; I fear Allah, Creator of the worlds

[29] In fact", he added, "I wish you would bear the consequences of my iniquities and of your wrongs and be an inmate of Hell, for this is the reward of those, wrongful of actions

[30] He succumbed to his evil thought of slaying his brother and he killed him, only to incur the loss of the noble qualities of the soul and be one of those born to be losers

[31] Unable to handle the corpse of his brother, he was at a loss. There and then did Allah send a raven to remove earth with its claws to bury a dead raven so that the killer would know how to dispose of his brother's corpse? The raven having shamed him with its notable performance, he said: "Woe betide me; have I not been even able to be like this raven to dispose of my brother’s corpse and obstruct the view of my crime! " And there he was left with nothing but pining regrets and vain repentance

[32] By reason of this We ordained to Bani Isra‘il thus: "He who deprives an innocent life not implicated in homicide, corruption or mischief on earth, will have committed, as it were, massacre of all innocent people". "And he who preserves it and defends it will have protected, as it were, all innocent people". Our Messengers came to them equipped with clear signs to implement Our statues, yet many among them continued to carry disobedience and mischief to excess

[33] The only reward befitting those who strive against Allah and His Prophet, wage spiritual warfare against Allah’s and strive to spread mischief on earth, is capital punishment or crucifixion, contra lateral amputation of their hands and legs or exile from the land, This way, they shall be put to shame here below, and there awaits them the torment laid upon the damned Hereafter

[34] But such ill fate would be cancelled in favour of those who repent before you subvert them and reduce them to impotence, and you must realize that Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[35] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: Entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and seek the path leading to Him and make His purpose the heart of your purpose and strive in His cause; you may hopefully prosper

[36] Those who deny Allah shall be paid their deserts. If they had owned twice the worldly riches and the affluence treasured on earth to offer in expiation of their guilt and of the torment to be laid on the damned in Day of Judgment, shall find that their hopes are doomed to disappointment. Never shall their ransom be accepted and there awaits them an unremitting punishment

[37] They eagerly wish to get out of Hell, but never shall they succeed and therein shall they suffer excruciating pain

[38] As to the thief, man or woman, who criminally and inexcusably commits a theft - whether by violence or by stealth, - you must make them suffer the amputation of their hands in requital of their iniquity; a punishment justified by Allah to set an example to others who are tempted to rob people of their property or plunder a person feloniously of something belonging, and Allah is Azizun (Almighty) and Hakimun (Wise)

[39] But he or she who feels contrition following iniquity and regrets the wrongful action and in lowliest plight repentant stands and remorse begets reform, and their thoughts be governed by divine principles, shall Allah pardon them for their offence and give up resentment against them Hereafter

[40] Do you not know that to Allah alone, belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth! He punishes whom He will and forgives whom He will, and He is Qadirun over all things

[41] O you, the Messenger: "Let not those hypocrites who impel themselves heedlessly to infidelity grieve you at heart; their words and thoughts do not together accord. They declare they have conformed to Islam when in fact their hearts entertain positive unbelief. Nor should you grieve over those of the Jews who are attentive hearers to falsehood which the demagogic rabbins had purposed that they know. Furthermore, they lend their ears to those among them who never had audience of you, who translocation the words of the Sacred Scriptures to alter the intended sense of Allah’s words, and they use their authority to instruct their listeners to accept only the Scriptural passages they discoursed them, and to reject and beware of all else. But the fact is that he whom Allah has justly intended to close his heart’s ears and his mind’s eyes; you shall not be able to provide him with an alternative of Allah’s decision. These and such persons are they whom Allah has declined to cleanse their hearts and minds from moral and spiritual defilement. They must expect disgrace and humiliation here below, and unremitting punishment hereafter

[42] Attentive hearers to falsehood as they are, they are also hungry for ill-gotten gain and for eating people out of their property. Should they come to you seeking your judgement on certain points in dispute or on two notions whether or not they can be reconciled, then you may accept to judge between them or you may decline if you prefer. If you decline, they shall not touch you and you shall be out of harm's way. But should you accept sitting in judgement, then judge between them in equity, for Allah likes those who recourse to general principles of justice

[43] But is it not incredible that they should come to you for judgement when they have AL-Tawrah where Allah has laid down His law! Nevertheless, objections will be taken against your decision if it is not consonant with their desire. These are people who are not really a part of the faith

[44] We have sent down AL-Tawrah with emphasis on the spirit of truth guiding into all truth and to bring intellectual illumination and enlightenment. We made it the standard of judgement and the canon law by which the Prophets, who conformed to Islam, would administer righteousness and justice between the Jews. And so would the rabbins and the canonists who were entrusted with it as the guide Book where Providence is the guide and were witnesses to its divinity. Therefore, do not fear the people but fear me. Nor should you exchange the truth of my revelations and of -the mission of My Messenger- for the vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world. And remember that he, who does not judge matters according to the rules revealed by Allah, will have denied Allah. Such persons are indeed infidels

[45] And We decreed in AL-Tawrah a prescriptive rule for them to observe, Thus: "The life repays for the life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth and the wounds are subject to retaliation ",But he who remits the return of like for like as a charitable contribution, shall find that this act of kindness has served to expiate some of his sins. And those who do not judge matters, according to the law revealed by Allah shall be wrongful of actions

[46] Then sent ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, to succeed the Jewish Prophets to corroborate faith in AL-Tawrah set before him and We graced him with AL-Injil guiding to all truth and imparting intellectual illumination and enlightenment, confirming the statutes set forth in AL-Tawrah and serving as the spirit of truth that guides to all truth and as an admonition to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[47] Just as it was mandatory that the Jews would use AL-Tawrah as the standard of judgement, so would the Christians; they were commanded to use AL-Injil as the canon law by which to judge matters. He who does not use the standard of judgement as revealed by Allah, shall be wrongful of actions, and such persons are the wicked

[48] And We have sent down to you O Muhammad the Quran confirming the Scriptures revealed before it -AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil- and serving as the Book of reference for matters disputed among Ahl AL-Kitab, for it is the umpire of all preceding Scriptures, and the decision based on its precepts shall have to be, accepted as final. Therefore, base your Judgments Muhammad on its precepts revealed by Allah, and do not follow their desires which deviate from the truth imparted to you. In fact, for each of you people Jews, Christians and Muslims have We authoritatively determined a law and a course to follow, and had Allah willed, He would have made all of you one conjoint body united in feeling and thought. But He meant to test your qualities with what He has ordained for-you. Therefore, contend you people for good will and for deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety; you are all destined to go back to Allah, and there and then shall He inform you of the detailed particulars of all the points upon which the whole unreasoning turned

[49] And judge O Muhammad between them in a manner consistent with the precepts revealed by Allah. And do not act upon their desires and beware of them lest they seduce you into a course of action not totally divine. And should they turn a deaf ear, then you must realize that Allah has purposed to requite them in return for some of their iniquities; and many of the people are indeed wicked

[50] Is it the folly reign of paganism that they wish to institute! But who is a better judge than Allah to pass an equitable judgement upon people who lift to Him their inward sight

[51] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: Do not take the Jews and the Christians -when warring against you- as intimate friends nor favour their tutelage; they both act in concert to set themselves as your antagonists, and their ill-will unites their thoughts. And he who favours their tutelage shall be counted as one of them; Allah does not guide the wrongful to His path of righteousness

[52] And you see those hypocrites whose ill-natured hearts reflect the morbidity inherent in their innermost being, hasten on to win their tutelage and they interpret their thoughts in words, Thus: "We fear," they say, "lest one day fortune be on their side and we should be overcome and suffer at their hands". May Allah make victory sit on your helm O Muslims or take matters of fact and circumstance them after His own manner; there and then shall the hypocrites be really sorry and pained at heart for having succumbed to their evil thoughts

[53] And there and then shall say those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand to Ahl AL-Kitab: "Are these -the hypocrites- not the people who swore fealty to you". Now have their hopes been doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness; they have come to be great losers

[54] O you who have conformed to Islam : He who turns renegade and deserts Islam in favour of another religion shall not frustrate the laws nor the statutes of heaven's realm; Allah shall replace them by people whom He favours and who lift to Him their inward sight; they are humble and meek with their co - religionists and proud - hearted hauty severe toward the infidels; they strive in the cause of Allah not caring what people say. This is the grace of Allah; He confers it on whom He will, and Allah is Wasiun (Omnipresent),and 'Alimun

[55] Indeed the only tutelary guardian you have O Muslims is Allah and the only tutelary friends you have are His Messenger and those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand, who engage in the act of worship, give Zakat and kneel to Allah in adoration

[56] And he who chooses to be under Allah’s, tutelage and takes His Messenger and those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand as his tutelary friends shall find that Allah’s party attains the desired end

[57] O You who have conformed to Islam: Do not take defenders, supporters, or intimate friends from among those given the Book before you, nor from the infidels who are at enmity with your faith. It is incumbent on you to deny their tutelage. They mock your religion and amuse themselves with its principles. You just entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah if indeed your hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[58] And when you call to prayer, they mockingly mimic and deride the act of worship and amuse themselves with what they hear and see. This is because they are a people who lack the faculty of comprehending intellectually

[59] Ask them O Muhammad: you Ahl AL-Kitab, do you have this vindictive disposition against us only because we believe in Allah and in the Quran revealed to us and in the Scriptures revealed aforetime! "The fact is that most of you are wicked

[60] Say to them: "Shall I inform you of what is worse: you stir yourselves against your kind, and worse against yourselves, and far worse is that you have come within the measure of Allah’s wrath". Accordingly, Allah had decreed they be monkyfied and vested with swinish disposition and their monkey and swine-like character and behaviour be viewed with contempt and they be despised and rejected of men and be worshippers of idols. These and such persons have indeed assumed the worst position in society here and Hereafter and strayed far away from the path of righteousness

[61] When they pay you a visit, be it sociable or in other manner, they declare they have conformed to Islam, when in fact they have come in with minds captivated by infidelity and hostile intentions and come out with the same attributes, and Allah is 'Alimun of what they concealed of private thoughts and feelings

[62] And you see many of them hasten on to commit themselves to an evil line of conduct and to transgression, not to mention their hunger for ill-gotten gain. Evil indeed is what their minds habituated them to do

[63] Is it not utterly incredible that their rabbins, and canonists do not forbid their tongues from uttering ill nor do they admonish them to fear their ill-gotten gain!: "Evil indeed is their habitual course of action applying to their deeds consequent on volition

[64] The Jews insolently say: "Allah keeps His hands tightly shut; He is close - fisted". Close-fisted be their hands and cursed they are for their evil thoughts expressed in words, but He is open-handed; He yields abundantly as He will and how He will. And the more Allah bestows on you O Muhammad of His bounty, the more do many of them err for infirmity of purpose, and display their transgressive infirmities of themselves and sink deeper in infidelity under the vexations of their minds. And We stirred up enmity and hatred among them -the Christians among themselves and between the Christians and the Jews till the Day of Resurrection. As often as they inflame passion for kindling a war against you Muhammad, Allah extinguishes their reason and their alacrity. They strive to spread mischief and create discord on earth, and Allah detests those characterized with prepensed malice

[65] Had Ahl al-Kitab conformed to Allah’s will and acknowledged the mission of His Messenger and -the Quran- sent down to him, and entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, We would have dropped the charges against them and cancelled their misfortunes and admitted them to the gardens of bliss and beatitude

[66] And had they adhered to the precepts of AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil and complied with all that was revealed to them from Allah, their Creator, He would have made all grace abound in them, spiritually from the realm above them and materially from the earth beneath their feet. Among them are a people who lift to Allah their inward sight and imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety, but many of them are wrongful of actions; evil indeed is what they do

[67] O you the Messenger: Proclaim and intimate all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, and if you do not, then you Will have not proclaimed His message. Under His tutelage, Allah protects you from the people who are characterized by acts of prepensed malice and hostile intentions. Indeed Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness those who are. Given to infidelity

[68] Say to them: O you Ahl AL-Kitab, you bend on a system of faith not standing upon the vantage ground of truth until you comply with the precepts of AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil and all that has been sent down to you from Allah, your Creator. But the more Allah bestows on you O Muhammad of His bounty, the more do many of them err for infirmity of purpose and display their transgressive infirmities of themselves and sink deeper in infidelity under the vexations of their minds. Therefore, do not grieve over those who are infidels indeed

[69] Nonetheless, those who believe in- the prophets who dated for back in the past and those who profess Judaism and the various sects of the Sabeites and of the Sabaeans and the Christians and those who fall in line with the prophet Muhammad; whoever believes in Allah, and acknowledges the truth of Resurrection and Judgement and imprints his deeds with wisdom and piety, shall Heaven reward them for their homage thereto, and no fear nor dread shall fall upon them nor shall they come to grief

[70] For once We entered into a covenant with Bani Isra‘il and We sent to them Messengers. Yet as often as a Messenger was sent to them with divine principles not to their taste, some they renounced and accused of assuming false character and others they killed or conspired for their death

[71] They overlooked Allah’s test of their belief and mental leaning, and closed their hearts’ ears and their minds’ eyes and deviated from the path of righteousness. Yet Allah gave up resentment against them and pardoned their offense. Again, many of them closed their hearts’ ears and their minds’ eyes; Allah is Bassirun (Omnipresent); He sees all that they do

[72] Infidels indeed are those who declare Allah is the Messiah, ‘Isa, the son of Maryam. And ‘Isa said to them: "O you Bani Isra‘il, worship Allah, my Creator and your Creator and he who incorporates with Him other deities shall be denied Paradise; Allah shall exclude him totally from the eternal bliss and shall destine him to the abode in Hell. And those who are wrongful shall have no tutelary protectors to afford them help Hereafter

[73] Again, infidels indeed are those who say: "Allah in Trinity; Allah is One and Only, the Absolute, and the Creator of the universe. If they do not desist their foolish thoughts and correct their derangement of mind, those of them who continue to pursue this line of thought are infidels indeed and the infidels must expect a painful doom

[74] Is it not time to change their state of mind and in lowliest plight stand repentant to Allah and invoke His forgiveness! Then they shall find Allah Ghafurun and Rahimun

[75] Indeed, the Messiah, the son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many Messengers like him have passed away before him. His mother was a woman vested with saintliness of life and character; she and her son consumed food. See how We expound to them Our revelations, yet you see how they counsel deaf

[76] Say to them O Muhammad: Do you worship besides Allah those who -can neither do you harm nor afford you help, when Allah is He Who controls your fate and He is Sami'un (Omnipresent) with unlimited audition, and 'Alimun

[77] Say to them: O you Ahl AL-Kitab, Do not carry your religious beliefs to excess and beyond the truth, nor follow the same inordinate desires propounded by a people who erred and went wrong in Judgement aforetime* and caused many to go wrong. They wandered from the path of righteousness

[78] Maledictions were poured upon those of them who rejected faith among Bani Isra‘il by the words uttered against them with the tongues of Dawud (David) and ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, on account of their disobedience, willful transgression and violation of Allah’s commands

[79] They never exhorted each other to laudable conduct but they shut their eyes to iniquities and abuses. Evil indeed is what they perpetrated of atrocities and wrong deeds

[80] You see many of them ally themselves to the infidels who disbelieved in Allah. Evil indeed is what their inherent dominating power has determined for them that it made Allah deny them mercy on their souls and destine them to eternal suffering Hereafter

[81] If they were indeed faithful to Allah and to the Prophet Muhammad and gave credence to the Quran sent to him, they would not have sought the infidels’ tutelage, but many of them are indeed wicked

[82] You shall find O Muhammad the most avowed enemy to those who conformed their will to Allah’s will arc the Jews and those who incorporate with Allah other deities. And you shall find that the people who have a better disposition toward those who conformed their will to Allah’s will are those who are Christians. This is because among them, there are priests and monks who fear Allah and not extravagant in their accounts of themselves nor do they entertain inordinate self-esteem

[83] When they listen to the Quran and to a discourse of practical divinity sent down to the Messenger they are excited to tears which you see overflowing from their eyes at the truth they recognize and they interpret their thoughts in words characterized by an invocatory prayer, thus: "O Allah, our Creator", they say, "we have recognized the truth and our hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues; Our Creator, incorporate us with those who bear witness to the truth and to the glory of Your system of faith and worship

[84] And why do we not recognize Allah", they add, "with all our hearts and give credence, to the truth we have received, when we hope that Allah would incorporate us with those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[85] In response Allah graced them with a distinguished reward. They shall be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity. This is the reward befitting the ones whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[86] Whereas those who rejected faith and denied Allah and His ordinances and refused to recognize His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority, shall be the inmates of Hell wherein they shall have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[87] O you who have conformed to Islam: Do not forbid the worthy and wholesome victuals Allah rendered lawful for you to eat, nor carry your concepts of the religion to excess and pass beyond due bounds; Allah does not like those who go beyond the limits prescribed

[88] Eat of what We provisioned you; it is all replete with choice of all delights and enjoy all that is pure, lawful, wholesome and not forbidden, and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah Whom you maintain as the heart of your purpose

[89] Allah excuses you for oaths in which the guilt does not reside in the intention, but He holds you responsible for the oaths in which guilt resides in the intention, an affront nothing can expiate but

[90] O you who have conformed to Islam You had better realize in fact, that

[91] The fact is that AL-Shaytan and those with characteristics befitting him wish to use intoxicants and gambling as the instrument to implant enmity and hatred among you and to alienate you from keeping Allah in mind and from the act of worship. And if he succeeds to sow the wind you will have reaped the whirlwind. Therefore, are you not going to discontinue this line of evil conduct

[92] You had better obey Allah and obey His Messenger and beware not to come within the measure of Allah’s wrath. And should you counsel deaf, then you must realize that Our Messenger is responsible only for conveying Our clear message

[93] No guilt incurred on those who have conformed to Islam and cultivated their deeds with piety, relative to the kind of food they might have consumed in the past, provided

[94] O you whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: Allah shall test you while on pilgrimage; He shall tempt you with game within easy reach of your hands and your lances to distinguish those who will direct their thoughts to Allah and revere Him, albeit they cannot apprehend Him by sight. And he who transgresses henceforth shall be put to the torture

[95] O you whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues: Do not kill game while vested with the pilgrim’s garb, during major or minor pilgrimage, and he who intentionally kills such an animal shall pay the equivalent thereto from animals reared for food. The exact equivalent be it in kind or in value, shall be judged by two of your men known to recourse to general principles of justice. And the sacrifice will be an offering to the Ka’ba. Failing this then he may supply food to the indigent in the amount equivalent to the price determined. Or he may fulfill his obligation by fasting -from dawn to sunset for a day or more as determined by the judges so that he tastes the evil consequences of his guilt. Bygone shall be bygone; Allah forgives what is past. And he who falls back into the same wrong-doing shall be severely punished; Allah shall take just vengeance on him; Allah is Qadirun, He justly avenges His right

[96] Fishing and hunting water game from salt and fresh waters have been rendered lawful for you, and the flesh of the catch is lawful for you and for the travelers to eat. Whereas forbidden unto you are the pursuit of land game so long as you are vested with the pilgrim's garb. And entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah to Whom you shall be thronged

[97] Allah has made the Ka’ba, the Sacrosanct House, the Macca of mankind and the aspiration of one’s life to visit for material and spiritual reformation. He established the Sacred Month -of pilgrimage- the offerings and the garlands mantling them in order to realize that Allah knows fully well all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth and that Allah is 'Alimun indeed

[98] Bring vividly, you people, before your minds and let it be realized in fact that Allah’s punishment is very painful, and that He is also Ghafurun and Rahimun

[99] And let it be remembered that Our Messenger is entrusted only with relating the divine revelations and Allah is 'Alimun of all you reveal and of all you conceal

[100] Say to them O Muhammad: "It is quite evident that bad and good do not together accord, nor can you compare an object with evil savour with an object emblematic of goodness, albeit the abundance of the former may excite your admiration. Therefore, entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah you people who reflect; you may hopefully prosper

[101] O you who have conformed to Islam: Do not ask about matters not apprehensible, matters, which if made known would disturb you. If you call upon the Messenger for information after having been inspired with the relevant revelations, you will be offered the explanation. Allah has forgiven you for these questions incidental to these matters, and Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[102] Some of those who preceded you had peered inquisitively into such matters and asked all sorts of questions, and when the nature of such matters was overtly declared, they simply lost faith; they dismissed the idea and were no longer loving subjects but disobedient rebels

[103] Allah never authorized you to proclaim unlawful what He has rendered lawful. Never did Allah impose the dedication of certain animals under any form of superstitions. Thus, you profanely relieve from service, designate by a descriptive name and dedicate to idols

[104] When told to recourse to what Allah has sent down of divine revelations, and to the Messenger for help and advice, they simply refuse. They say: "We are quite satisfied with the particular system of faith and worship our fathers were bent on. But how will it be if their fathers had lacked the soundness of judgement and had missed the path of righteousness

[105] Begin with yourselves and invest your own souls with such religious and spiritual virtues as Allah has inclined you to propound and guard yourselves from being supposed, then no one who deviates in mind can possibly pervert you nor alienate you from Allah’s purpose, provided you lift to Him your inward sight and maintain His path of righteousness where Providence is the guide. You are all destined to go back to Allah Who shall inform you of all that your minds and your souls had impelled you to do

[106] O you whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues: when any of you feels death impending and he wishes to make a bequest, then witness action is mandatory. Two of your just men known to recourse to justice are summoned to witness the action. And in the event of being on a journey when the calamity of death befalls you, then two other men are duly detained following the funerary prayer to establish the point in question. And if you should apprehend guilt or fault on their part, then they are asked to perform the act of worship and then be sworn, thus: "We swear by Allah that we have no selfish motive principles nor do we favour anyone for a gain, even if he be within the first degree of consanguinity, nor will we hide or suppress testimony a divine duty, and be wrongful of actions

[107] However, if it is found out, that they have willfully uttered false evidence while on oath, they are replaced by others who claim lawful right to the deceased estate. They are sworn that their evidence is more consistent with fact than that given by the other two men, "whom", they say, "we do not falsely accuse of perjury nor do we give false evidence lest we would be wrongful of actions

[108] This prudent course of action is less likely to make the witnesses depart from moral righteousness; it will induce them to honesty lest their testimony be rejected and be replaced by others. Therefore, keep you people Allah in mind and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him; Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness those who are given to evil

[109] One day shall Allah gather the Messengers and ask them, thus: "What response did you get from the people to whom you were sent and how did it accord with their deeds!" And they shall say: "Glory be to You, but You are the Omniscient of all the unknown and of all the invisible and of all private thoughts and feelings

[110] Then shall Allah address ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, thus: "Do you remember O ‘Isa My divine favour and the efficacious grace I conferred on you and on your mother; how I supported you and gave you countenance by the Holy Spirit Jibril that you spoke to people while in the cradle and in manhood. And I taught you the Book and wisdom, AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil and made you present your people with an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace featured in the power I imparted to you to create from clay the figure of a bird and inspirit it and it came to be a living bird by My command and made you restore the sight of the congenitally blind and heal the leper by My command, and with My delegated authority raise the dead by My command. And do you remember how I held back Bani Isra‘il from their intended hostile course of action against you when you presented them with divine clear and plain revelations and signs guiding out of darkness and superstitions of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into intellectual illumination and enlightenment, but the infidels among them said: This is nothing but sheer sorcery assumed by him

[111] And do you remember how I inspired thought and feelings into the disciples and actuated them with the feeling of conforming their will to My will and of acknowledging your Prophethood and how they responded favourably and said: We do conform our will to Allah’s will and said to you: bear witness O ‘Isa that we are now Muslims and we conform to Allah’s system of faith and worship

[112] Then they said to you: "O ‘Isa, the son of Maryam can Allah your Creator, send down from heaven a table" And you said to them: "Revere Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him if indeed your hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[113] And they said to you: "We wish to sit at it and eat of the food served to satisfy our reason and rest assured that you have brought us the truth and be witnesses thereof

[114] There and then you made your invocatory prayer, thus "O Allah, our Creator, I pray and beseech you to send down to us from your heaven’s realm a table set with food to serve as an occasion to yield our souls to festive mirth and to regale the first and the last of us who conform their will to Your will and as a graceful sign convincing people of Your Omnipotence and Authority. O Allah, our Creator, and provision us from your bounty with the means of sustaining life; You are the best purveyor to fit every person with what is necessary and with what he needs

[115] Allah said: "I will send it down to you, but then he whose heart, thereafter, dare rise defiant against Allah and denies the truth, will I send to his account with all his sins and imperfections on his head to suffer the endless agony which doubles his torment and his woe to an extent which no one else in the universe will suffer

[116] Then Allah says to ‘Isa: "Did you O ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, ask the people to take you and your mother as two Ilah’s besides Allah and pay you the same tribute that is dutiful only to Allah!" "Glory be to You", says ‘Isa, and extolled are Your glorious attributes how could I have said what was never within my right and infinitely beyond my jurisdiction!" "If I had uttered it or even thought of it, You would have known it, You can read my thoughts whereas I cannot possibly read Yours; You are 'Alimun of the unknown and of the invisible and of all private thoughts and feelings

[117] I never said to them, says ‘Isa, but what You had commanded me to say, thus: "Worship Allah, my Creator and your Creator". "And I observed their deeds and bore witness to their behaviour as long as I lived among them, and when you ordained that I depart life, You were the only one Who constantly kept a vigilant eye upon them and their deeds and toward themselves and toward others and witnessed their course of action You are Shahidun (witness) of all things in all respects

[118] If you punish them and cause them to suffer for their offences, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them You are indeed, AL-Aziz and AL-Hakim (Wise)

[119] There and then says Allah "This is the Day when truth shall advantage the virtuous, and truthfulness is their attribute. There awaits them a blissful life in gardens of surpassing beauty beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity, Allah well pleased with them and they with Him. This is indeed triumph supreme

[120] To Allah belong the sovereignty and the supreme controlling power of the heavens and the earth- and of all that they comprise. and He is indeed Qadirun over all things

[1] Praise is to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and introduced darkness and light- both physical and spiritual-. Yet the infidels equalize Him with creatures of their fancy and incorporate them with Him as a corporate deity

[2] You people had better realize, that it was He who brought you into being and effected your special creation from clay, then ordained He your span and the span of the universe and kept to Himself the knowledge of the point of time when all shall come to an end, and the Hereafter, begins, Yet you see O Muhammad how they contend with opposing arguments about Resurrection

[3] And He is Allah in the heavens and on earth, Who alone has the rightful claim to reverence and veneration featured in the act of worship and in displaying the appropriate acts and rites. He is 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all that you converse secretly or whisper under your breath and of what you suggest, secretly to the mind, of all that your breasts store of thoughts and feelings and of all that you utter. Furthermore, He is 'Alimun of all that you earn of qualities, actions and deeds

[4] Yet no revelation, sign or event betokening Allah's Omnipotence and authority and evinces both His Oneness and exclusive power to control fate and destiny, but they refuse to pay heed to it and they turn a deaf ear

[5] They rejected the truth and counselled deaf to the Quran when it was presented to them to guide them into all truth. But soon shall they realize the truth of all that has been discoursed in this Quran which they hold up to ridicule

[6] Did they not perceive by sight, apprehend by thought and learn by reading how many generations have We destroyed! generations who came to this world before them, endowed with power and ability, diligence and' capacities of action, wealth and knowledge, mental receiving power and talent and with many qualities which total up to a much higher degree than those summed up in you people. We poured down upon them rain and blessings bringing them into a people of condition and We made the rivers run beneath their settled habitations. But in consequence of their ingratitude and inordinate self -esteem, We destroyed them in requital of their transgression of the divine law, their offences against Allah and their violation of the religious and moral principles. We replaced them by other people who listened to reason and whose prudence got the better of their pride

[7] And if We sent down to you O Muhammad a written discourse in sheets of paper fastened together, forming a material whole and they perceived it by sight and felt it by touch; thus still the infidels would have labelled it Sheer magic

[8] They insolently say: If only an angel had been sent down to companion him - Muhammad- to confer on him dignity in an order of Prophethood! But if We had sent down an angel, then their Hereafter would have been planted in the now and their punishment would not have been put in respite

[9] And if We had sent an angel as a Messenger or to companion Our human Messenger, We would have disguised him as a man, and there one disorder would be aggravated by another; they would not believe in him either, and a fallacious mode of reasoning would be created more than ever; they would not know whether to use the premise to prove the conclusion or to use the conclusion to prove the premise - a vicious circle

[10] None the less, Messengers who were sent before you O Muhammad were also bombarded with foul epithets. The infidels mocked them and gave them a lick with the rough side of their tongues and called them everything they could lay their tongues to. In consequence were the mockers beset on all sides by the same material and immaterial things they turned into ridicule

[11] Say to them: "Journey the land and open your mind’s eyes to see for yourselves the fatal consequence which united all those who persisted in their intentional assertion of falsehood

[12] Ask them: "To whom do you think the universe belongs!" and say to them: "Rest assured that all things including the earth and the Heavens and all that is in them, constituting a systematic whole, belong to Allah alone, Who ascribed mercy unto Himself to give people a chance to repent before the undoubted Day of Resurrection when He shall gather you all to His August Presence. There and then shall the infidels who denied Him realize that they were born to be great losers

[13] And to Him belong all created beings whose activity is suspended during the darkness of the night as well as all created beings whose activity is suspended during day light and He is AL-Sami' with unlimited audition and AL-'Alim

[14] Say to them: "Would I choose to be under the tutelage of any besides Allah Who has generated the heavens and the earth! He provisions all with the requisites of life while He is provisioned by no one nor is He contingent on, nor conditioned by, the material or the immaterial". Say to them: "I have been commanded to be the first who conforms to Islam and never to be one of those who incorporate with Him other deities

[15] Say to them: "I am fearful to offend Allah, my Creator. If I were to disobey Him, Heaven shall lay my transgression to my charge and requite me with an immense punishment on a momentous Day

[16] He who escapes censure on that Momentous Day, will have won Allah's mercy, and this is indeed triumph supreme

[17] If Allah afflicts you with a touch of a misfortune then no one can relieve you of it but Him. And if He should grace you with a touch of good fortune, He is Qadirun to effect all in all

[18] He is the Supreme controlling and influencing power inherent in all His servants and in His Created beings, and He is the Source of wisdom and wise mysterious dispensations and AL-Khabir (Cognizant of all things)

[19] Ask O Muhammad those who doubt your mission: "What documentary evidence has more weight to support the truth of my mission than the attestation by Allah Himself!" "He is the witness of my actions and of your actions". "This Quran has been inspired to me to guide you into all truth and to warn you and warn all those whom it shall reach against counting Allah as being plural". "Do you people really bear witness to the plurality of Allah!" "I Just will not accord with this". Say to them: "Indeed He is only One Ilah, and I am absolutely innocent of your ills, and above all of your notion of incorporating with Him other deities

[20] Those who were recipients of Our Word -Jews and Christians- to whom We gave the Book -AL-Tawrah and AL-Injil (Torah and Bible) do recognize this Book -the Quran- as well as the Messenger to whom it is sent. They assert the existence of this reality as much as they are able to assert the identity of their sons, but those who are cheaply vicious to the perdition of their own souls refuse to recognize the truth

[21] And who is more wrongful than he who viciously and wrongfully relates to Allah falsehood or denies His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority! Never shall the wrongful of actions find one instance of physical or spiritual prosperity Hereafter

[22] The Day shall come when We throng them all together and say to them: "Where are your deities which you presumed to have divine nature that you incorporated them with Allah

[23] Not knowing what to do nor which way to turn they shall say: "By Allah, our Creator, never did we incorporate with Allah other deities

[24] See how they will lie in their teeth and tell lies about themselves and be forsaken and renounced by those whom they presumed to share with Allah His divine nature and how they shall fail their expectations

[25] And among them are some who listen to your discourse on practical divinity and to the Quran when you recite it, not to profit by it but to pick holes in it and be able to tell their evil minds. The fact is that We have closed their hearts’ ears and deafened their ears to reason. They just would not apprehend with their senses any revelation or any sign no matter how convincing to the mind they be. And when they come to you O Muhammad they do not humble themselves but in arrogance they are more ready to argue than to obey. Vested with infidelity, they interpret their thoughts in words: "This is nothing", they say, "but fables of old

[26] And they incite people to reject the Quran and decline to accept it, and they themselves have nothing to do with it. They only bring irretrievable disaster upon themselves and they do not have the wisdom to perceive this fact

[27] If only you could visualize their change of mind when they are confined into the slavish imprisonment of Hell! They shall wish they could be sent back to life below and they would never deny Allah's revelations and signs, and they would be among those who conform to Allah's will

[28] The fact is that now they do realize their earlier sinful settled behaviour, representing their hidden common feeling of the denial of the truth. And if they were sent back to life below, they would, thus still, resume the same evil practice they were advised to avoid; they are indeed liars

[29] They fail to recall to mind what they perpetuated of thoughts which they expressed in words, thus: "There is only this present life" they say, "and it, is only time that shall do away with it, and never shall we be resurrected

[30] And if you could visualize them when they are in the August presence in audience of Allah, their Creator, and He asks them: "Is this not the graphic description of the truth which was related to you by our Messenger you simply denied! "By Allah, our Creator, it is", they say, there and then they shall be told: "Taste the torment laid upon the damned for your intentional denial of the truth

[31] Losers indeed are those who deny Resurrection and their audience of Allah, their Creator. And when all of a sudden the predetermined Eventful Hour surprises them, they shall say with pining regrets and vain repentances: "It is a great pity to have neglected our duty to Allah in life below and for what we left undone." They shall be burdened with wrongs more then their backs can bear. Evil indeed is the fate of those who are burdened with wrongs, and evil indeed are the wrongs they wear

[32] Indeed life here is but an illusive and rapid change of feeling, fancy and thought and an amusement bringing happiness to those who cannot think, whereas, the abode in heaven's realm Hereafter is far better and indeed blissful but for those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah; can you people not reflect

[33] We do know O Muhammad that what their dishonesty admits of irreverent discourse grieves you at heart, In fact it is not you that they charge with falsehood, but it is Allah's revelations, signs and Authority that the wrongful deny. They befool their minds and their judgement of the truth to cause what is false be accepted as true

[34] Messengers before you O Muhammad had been charged with falsehood just the same and they put up with the charge and bore criticism and wrongful treatment with forbearance, and they bore with their opponents their faults and limitations until Allah ordained to be their very present help ; decisions pronounced by Allah are decisive, irrevocable and conclusive. You have already been given a narrative of the Messengers who preceded you

[35] If their natural aversions and antipathies perturb you, and you are able to excavate a roadway underground or set up a ladder to ascend heavenward to bring about a sign to convince them of the truth of your mission, then by all means do it. Had Allah willed He would have united their thoughts and feelings to meditate reverence and obedience to Him and seek His guidance and spiritual union. Therefore, do not be one of those destitute of Allah's knowledge

[36] It is only those who bow down their ears and open their heats’ ears that favourably respond to heaven's call and to spiritual prompting, whereas those destitute of spiritual life are as good as dead to admonition and the dead shall only hear when Allah resurrects them, be it in this world or in the world to come when back to Him they return

[37] And the infidels say: "If only a convincing divine sign be bestowed on him, a sign we perceive mentally or by sight! Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah is Omnipotent enough to send down any specific sign, but most of them are so ignorant to know the truth

[38] There is not a beast in the animal kingdom on earth nor a bird moving through the air with its wings but form distinct nations like you people. We have not left out anything informative but included it in this Book, and all shall just the same be thronged before Allah, their Creator

[39] Those who denied Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority, and denied your mission O Muhammad are indeed deaf and dumb; they are shrivelled into the darkness of want of spiritual and intellectual sight. But Allah misguides the minds of whom He. Will and guides to His path of righteousness whom He will

[40] Say to them: "What if Allah afflicts you with a penalty in requital of your evil deeds or your Hereafter be planted in the now! Who is there besides Allah to invoke for mercy, if indeed you declare the truth

[41] Indeed it is only Allah Whom you shall inevitably invoke to relieve your misery if He will, and you shall forget your false deities whom you incorporate with Him

[42] We have sent Messengers before you O Muhammad to peoples who came to this world before your people, and We afflicted them with misfortunes and wedded them to calamities hoping they would, humble themselves to Allah

[43] But even then and thus still, they became hard-hearted and were befooled by AL-Shaytan (Satan) who allured them to brighter worlds as a reward for their doings and he led the way

[44] And when they became wilfully unmindful of all that We had imparted to them of knowledge and of the misfortunes they suffered, We opened, for them all the great channels of prosperity until their appetite and desire were gratified and they rejoiced beyond a common joy. There and then We suddenly seized them and dressed them with ruin and there, they simply gave up hope and nursed despair

[45] There, were struck at the root and uprooted from the earth the people who were wrongful of actions. An inducement to people of piety to turn to Allah, Creator of the worlds, with praise and best thanks for purging the world of its corrupt members

[46] Ask them O Muhammad: "What if Allah denies you your faculty of hearing and that of sight, faculties divine, and closes your hearts' ears! Who is that deity who is able to restore them to you!" See Muhammad how We expound and orient Our revelations to circumstances and requirements yet they counsel deaf and refuse to heed

[47] Ask them: "What if Allah 's punishment surprises you or casts its shadow before it strikes you to your marrow! Who but the wrongful of actions shall perish

[48] We only send the Messengers in the capacity of spectacles and warnings, and those who recognize their missions and acknowledge Allah's Authority with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds with wisdom and piety will have won Allah's mercy; no fear or dread shall fall upon them nor shall they come to grief

[49] But those who refuse to recognize Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority and rejecting the truth of Our Messengers’ missions shall suffer the torment laid on the damned who grew daily more and more wicked

[50] Say to your people O Muhammad: "I do not claim to be in possession of the treasuries of Allah nor do I indulge in prophecy or claim to foretell future events nor do I say I am an angel. I only follow what is inspired to me of truth to guide all people into all truth". And ask them: "Shall they be esteemed alike, those who are lacking in intellectual, moral and spiritual perception, and those who perceive mentally and apprehend the truth by thought! Can you people not employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions

[51] And use the Quran O Muhammad to warn those who are apprehensive of the inevitable occasion when they are thronged before Allah, their Creator, besides Whom they simply have no tutelary protector nor an intercessor, they may, hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[52] And do not oblige the rich infidels who suffer from inordinate self-esteem, by dismissing those who are humble in rank or station before they listen to your discourse on Islam. Poor as they are, they uplift their hands and their inward sight to Allah in their devotional exercise morning and evening seeking only the illumination proceeding from Him, featured in the language spoken by His countenance. You are not accountable O Muhammad to Allah for their deeds or actions, nor are they accountable to Allah for your deeds or actions to induce you to dismiss them and be wrongful of action

[53] Thus did We take matters of fact as they were and circumstanced them after Our own manner. We gathered the rich and the poor together to try them and expose the inclination of the one in the presence of the other. And there contemptuously, said the rich who were extravagant in their accounts of themselves: "Is it these whom Allah has graced among us!" Does Allah not know best the thankful who are actuated with the feeling of gratitude

[54] And when those who opened their hearts’ ears and their minds’ eyes to Our revelations and signs come to you O Muhammad, address them with the expression of good will and courtesy "peace be upon you" and proclaim to them what will please them to hear, thus: " Allah ascribed mercy unto Himself as an attribute to Him to the end that he who commits himself among you to an evil line of conduct in ignorance and in lowliest plight stands repentant thereafter and henceforth imprints his deeds with wisdom and piety shall find Allah Ghafurun and` Rahimun

[55] Thus do We expound Our revelations and render Our discourse readily understood so as not to confound the course of action followed by the pious with that on which the wicked are resolved, and there shall the worker from the work distinct be known

[56] Say to them O Muhammad: "I have been forbidden to worship those deities whom you invoke in prayer or appeal to for aid and protection besides Allah. " And say to them: "Should I be tempted to follow your wishes or act upon your desires, then I will have missed the path of righteousness and failed to be one of those who have the world all before them and Providence their guide

[57] Say to them O Muhammad: "I follow the law I received from Allah, the law illuminating the eyes and imparting spiritual and intellectual enlightenment -the Quran- which you have totally denied". "I do not have control over Allah's punishment which you challenge and impertinently urge that it be hastened on." Decisions lay in the hands of Allah; He declares the truth and He is infinitely the best of all who can decide a question, a matter of doubt or discussion and settle a dispute

[58] Say to them: "If the punishment you have challenged to be hastened on rested on my hands, your Hereafter would have been planted thereupon and the case as put by both of us would have been decided." " Allah knows best the wrongful of actions

[59] And with Him are kept the keys serving to open up, disclose and explain the unknown, the mysterious and the obscure which no one knows but Him. He has omniscience of all that is on the land and in the sea, and not one single leaf, large or small, laterally produced from a stem or a branch, or springing from its root that falls, but comes to His knowledge. Nor a seed embedded in the darkness of the interior of the earth nor anything fresh, or moist, green or dry, withered or solid, but is inscribed and made manifest in a Book

[60] And He is it Who disembodies your souls at night during sleep and knows fully well all that you have done by day when He actuates you; a process continuing up to a predetermined point of time, then back to Him shall you return when He informs you of all that your minds and your souls had impelled you to do

[61] He is the Supreme controlling and influencing power inherent in His servants and in all His creatures, and He sends down guardian angels who keep you in sight and commit to writing all your actions and the thoughts running before them until it is time for any of you to encounter death as predetermined by Allah, then Our Messengers disembody his soul and never are they negligent

[62] There and then they are sent back to Allah, their Creator, Who is "Truth personified. " Is the right to Judgement not asserted as Allah's own! He is uniquely swift in putting the law in execution

[63] Ask them O Muhammad "Who saves you from the darkness of deepest dismay when you are unable to cope with a dangerous situation on land or at sea!" "You invoke Him with bated breath and whispering humbleness and in secret that if He extended His mercy to you and saved you, you would be impelled to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness

[64] And say to them: "Allah is He who saves you from this dangerous situation and from endless occasions of faintness of the heart from terror, yet and thus still you incorporate with Him other deities

[65] Say to them: "He is the Omnipotent Who is able to drive against you a retributive punishment from the realm above you or from beneath your feet, or to fan the flow of discord among you and split you into adversative factions and make some of you iniquitous and oppressive to the others and make some of you taste the hostilities launched out by others". See O Muhammad how We expound and orient Our revelations to circumstances and requirements that they may hopefully reflect

[66] Yet your people, thus still, deny the Quran, the truth guiding into all truth and deny themselves the knowledge, the wisdom and the spiritual light! Say to them: "I am not entrusted to your care nor am I responsible for your ordinary pursuits of life

[67] To every announcement or a proclamation embodied in the Quran there is a fixed point of time, place and incidence; the inception and duration as well as the completion are predetermined. And then you people shall know of it when it comes to pass

[68] And when you see those critical of Our revelations holding a, fault - finding and censorious, discourse on the subject, you just avoid them and do not keep company with them until they have changed the subject and virtue and wisdom no longer sit in want. Should Al-Shaytan make you forget, then collect your spirits, thoughts and mind and sit no longer with the wrongful of actions

[69] Those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah are in no way accountable to Allah for the deeds or actions of the wrongful However they should put them in mind of the truth hoping to bring them to their senses and. Induce them to entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[70] And dismiss O Muhammad from your thoughts those who do not justify faith as a conviction operative on their character and will and treat it mockingly and amuse themselves with its principles pinning it ostentatiously to their sleeves. They are deceived by the sensuous enjoyment they regarded as the chief object of life. But put them in mind of the truth, it may hopefully bring them to their senses and they come to realize that every soul shall be requited with what is commensurate with its deeds and shall have no tutelary protector besides Allah. Nor shall humble intercession be accepted from any on behalf of another, nor shall the equivalent in ransom pay for the expiation of the guilt of the one or the other. These persons of common attributes, qualities and actions shall be requited with what is commensurate with their deeds. Their uneasy and painful sensation of thirst shall only be quenched with boiling water and they shall suffer the torment laid on the damned who grew daily more and more wicked, intentionally denying the truth and asserting falsehood

[71] Say to them O Muhammad: "Is it befitting to invoke besides Allah mortals, immortals or figures made of stone or wood, when none of them can afford us help nor is it in their capacity to do us harm, and we be so ignorant to depreciate the spirit of truth guiding into all truth!" And is it wise to turn on our heels and reverse our natural instinct which manifests itself in rational acts after we have received divine enlightenment and illumination and the world is all before us and Providence our guide! "If so, we would stand similitude exact of someone who has been befooled by the Satanic, who wanders over the earth without rest perplexed in its enormous extent, not directed by reason or a fixed purpose, and in quest, he knows not of what, unknowing where his course is bound! "Influenced by the Satanic, he hardly hears the call of his good and pious friends begging him to come back to them and urge peace with Allah and reconcile himself with his own heart and with Allah". Say to them; "it is, only the course steered by Allah that leads to the path of righteousness where Providence is the guide and we Muslims have been commanded to conform our will to Allah’s will

[72] And we have been commanded to engage in the act of worship and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him, for to Him We shall all be thronged

[73] He is it Who created the heavens and the earth in truth and with a set of invariable cosmic laws in all manner of wisdom and for a valid reason. The instant He says to an object or to an event "Be" it is there. His Word is the truth personified and to Him belong the absolute sovereignty and the full control of the Eventful Event when the trumpet is sounded indicative of Resurrection and Judgement. He is the Omniscient of the invisible, the hidden and the unseen, the Omniscient of what the breasts store of thoughts and feelings and of what they forge. He has cognizance and holds prescience of what you converse secretly and utter below your breath and of what is suggested secretly to the mind. He is well acquainted with the visible and the seen and with what is avowed openly and openly disclosed, with all that is uttered loudly and with all that is being said. He is Al Hakim (he Source of wisdom and wise mysterious dispensations) and AL-Khabir (The Omniscient)

[74] For once did Ibrahim ask his father Azar (Athar) "Do you take figures made of stone and/or wood as godheads? O my father, I do see you and your people lost in the maze of error

[75] Thus, did We carry Ibrahim beyond the physical world to show him the wonders and spiritual glories behind the magnificent powers and laws of the physical universe to affirm his inward sight and his deep thoughts with certainty

[76] When the night darkened the world around him, he saw, with his inward sight a heavenly body glittering in the vault of heaven. This, said he, "is my Allah." But when it set he said: "I just do not like things that set, and cease to be

[77] Then when he saw the moon, again with his inward sight, rising into view and over head it sat: "This is my Allah", he said. But again when it vanished from sight he said: "Unless the supreme controlling and influencing power actuates me with thought and guidance, I will certainly be lost in a maze

[78] When he saw the sun rising, he acknowledged it his Allah; "It is greater ", he said. But when it set, he opened his mind’s eyes and said: "O my people, I am indeed innocent of all that you incorporate with Allah the Eternal

[79] Now do I turn my face and set my thoughts with firmness in fidelity, allegiance and fulfilment of all duties owed to Him, the Eternal Ilah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, and I am not one of those incorporating with Him other deities

[80] His people contended with him with opposing arguments against the thought of one Allah and warned him of their indignation. But he said to them: "Do you contend with me with opposing arguments against Allah Who has guided me to His path of righteousness!" "I do not regard with fear those deities whom you incorporate with Him nor shall I be in harm's way unless it be Allah's will. Allah, My Creator is Omnipresent, and His Omniscience embraces all in all; can you not reflect

[81] And how should I fear those deities whom you incorporate with Him and you do not fear the consequences and the malignant fate awaiting you in requital of incorporating with Him other deities whom He never authorized! "Which of the two parties, would then be safe and secure if only you knew

[82] Indeed those who believed in Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and did not confuse their spiritual apprehension of divine truths with wrongful actions and injustice are they who shall escape censure; they shall be graced with safety and security and the world is all before them and Providence their guide

[83] One judgement was deduced from another; that was the reasoning We imparted to Ibrahim to use against his people's contention. We raise whom We will to higher ranks and exalt them in dignity, wisdom and power. Allah, your Creator, is indeed Hakimun and 'Alimun

[84] We invested him with the privilege of begetting a pious progeny, Ishaq and Ya'qub (Isaac, Jacob) both of whom We guided into all truth just as We had guided Nuh (Noah) aforetime. And of Nuh's posterity We conducted Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon), Ayub (Job) and Yusuf (Joseph), Mussa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron). Thus do We reward those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[85] And Zakariya (Zachariah) and Yahya (John), ‘Isa (Jesus) and Ilias (Elias), all and each were enrolled among the virtuous

[86] And Isma‘IL (Ishmael) and Ilias, Yunis (Jonah) and Lut (Lot), all and each We favoured by preference out of all mankind

[87] And of their forefathers, posterity and brethren did We choose some whom We guided into all truth and We led the way

[88] This is the true accord of Allah - the union of His will and affections - attuned to the spirit of truth guiding whom He will of His servants into all truth. Had they incorporated with Him other deities they would have been denied the prerogative of Prophethood besides the loss incurred. Their hopes would have been doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness

[89] These were they to whom We entrusted the Book, the spirit of truth guiding people into all truth and ministering to their material and spiritual lives. We graced them with the divinely - given wisdom and sovereignty and with the special prerogative of Prophethood. If these people* - reject these divinely - given advantages, others have been entrusted with them; they fulfilled the requirements and proved worthy of the trust. * Meccans

[90] These are they whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand; they proved to be worthy of Allah's grace and prerogatives. Therefore, take them O Muhammad as a guide, follow their example and espouse their opinions. And say to your people: " I do not charge you a price for imparting to you Allah's revelations or disclosures, wisdom or practical divinity; the Quran - is simply the fountain - head of all truth that puts mankind in mind of reality

[91] And they* did not credit Allah with the attributes asserted as His own; they failed to ponder His marvels crediting His Omnipotence. They said: "Never did Allah disclose divine knowledge to a human being nor did He admit discourse directly or indirectly to His Omnipotence and Authority". Ask them; "Who then had sent down the Book you knew that Mussa presented to his people, the Book flowing forth with illumination and enlightenment to illuminate the intellect of mankind; the Book the Jews divided and again broke up into subdivisions and published the parts they planned to disclose and concealed the many parts which would publish their shame and their immorality; the Book which imparted to them divine knowledge and acquainted them intellectually with facts neither they nor their fathers had ever known". "Is it not Allah!" Let them Muhammad drown themselves in the nonsensical and engage in amusement which is the happiness of those who cannot think. * The Meccan Infidels and the Jews

[92] And this Quran -is Heaven's- sent Book breeding perpetual benediction, corroborating and authoritatively validating the authentic Books revealed aforetime; Use it Muhammad to warn people of the mother City and the people of all cities around. It is a Book highly credited by those who acknowledge the truth of the Hereafter and regularly observe their act of worship

[93] And who is more wrongful than him who relates falsehood to Allah and attributes to Him every falsity that could be devised, or claims that he has been inspired by Allah when in fact nothing whatsoever has been inspired to him! And who is more wicked than him who says: I am able to produce a book the like of that sent down by Allah! If only you Muhammad could see the wicked at the distressful moment of death when they are in agony, of mind and soul, as the angels of death put forward their hands to disembody their souls and say to them: "Now is the moment to surrender your souls "Today you shall suffer the humiliating torment laid upon the damned for attributing to Him nothing but falsehood and for turning your heads in contempt objecting to His signs and revelations with inordinate self-esteem

[94] Now" they are told, "you have come back to Us singly, not less alone than when you were alone when We created you at first and delivered you nude naked and bare to the world below". "Now you have come back to Us stripped of all possessions and of all that We had ascribed to you in life." Nor do We see you accompanied by your intercessors whom you had claimed they enjoyed the same position and power of a god; now the ties of your common fanciful belief are being severed, and those whom you presumed to be godheads have failed your expectation

[95] Allah is indeed the controlling power that influences the seeds and the date-stones to split to take root and to sprout to produce plants and trees; He causes the living to egress from the dead and the dead to fall from the living*; yet how strongly deluded you people are, that you believe a lie

[96] He causes the night to lose its character, and the incipience of the gleam of dawn to cleave its way, and He designated the night as the period of natural repose and recuperation*, and the sun and the moon for determining and computing time. Such is the plan determined by the AL- Aziz (the Almighty) and AL-'Alim

[97] And it is He Who designated the stars as a guide-post for you in your travels amid the darkness of night on land and beyond and at sea. We have expounded and distinctly expressed our revelations to people who reflect

[98] And He is it who brought you into being from one single soul* then He ordained your prototype in the seed** and He made the earth your destined habitation*** where you live a life that deserves the name until the encounter with death when you are deposited in the graves and in due course be reclaimed for Judgement. We have expounded and distinctly expressed Our revelations to people who comprehend the facts

[99] And it is He Who sends down from the floor of the vault of heaven rain-water and with it do We cause vegetal activity of all -plants-*. And We prompt the green blades to spring up and develop into clusters of ears of grain which ripen and be brought to maturity. And out of the palm trees commanding a view of all that lies around, hang pinnate of fan shaped leaves and sprouting offshoots of variegated and delightful fruits. And of the fruit trees are orchards of grapes, olives and pomegranates besides similar species and -Common characteristics- and dissimilar genus -class or distinct group-. Direct you people your intellectual eye and your inward sight to the fruit trees when they bloom and put forth blossoms and when the flowers come to be fruits which grow ripe, and you shall find enough tokens representing convincing divine evidence symbolic of Allah's Omnipotence and Authority, giving insight to those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[100] Yet the infidels incorporate with Him the Jinn as partners of Omnipotence and Authority albeit He brought the Jinn into being and caused them to exist. And in ignorance they insolently ascribe to Him sons and daughters; glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes, He is infinitely far beyond all they falsely attribute to Him

[101] He is it who generated the heavens and the earth. How would He have a child when He is infinitely beyond taking a wife! He created all and brought the whole into existence and He is 'Alimun of all in all

[102] This is Allah, your Creator; there is no Ilah but Him, the Creator Who generated all. Therefore, regard Him with reverence and veneration and worship Him alone; He is the Tutelary Guardian of the whole and of all in all

[103] He is not apprehended by sight whereas He comprehends all that is displayed to the bodily eye and all that is brought before the mind’s eye, and He is the Gracious Who gives His servants an understanding heart, and He is AL-Latif (Kind) and Al- Khabir

[104] Say to them O Muhammad: "You people have now received divine evidence engaging the intellect, and enough signs sensed by mental and spiritual vision of those who lift to Allah their inward sight. Therefore, he who exercises his mind’s eyes shall advantage himself, and he who blinds hims elf to the truth shall prejudice his own interests, and you must realize that I am not here to watch over your innocence and folly

[105] Thus much do We explicitly present Our revelations and signs and orient them to circumstances and requirements and explain the various aspects of every thought by symbols, parables and narratives so as to apply you O Muhammad to the standard which is not level to their capacities so that Ahl al-Kitab dismiss the idea that you were taught by some of them. We also meant to give insight to those who comprehend the truth

[106] You Muhammad just follow all that has been inspired to you and act upon it and in accordance with its precepts enjoined by Allah, your Creator; there is no Ilah but Him, and disregard those who incorporate with Him other deities

[107] Had Allah willed, He would have graced them with a religious mind and they would not have incorporated with Him other deities. And you rest assured that We did not send you to watch over their innocence and folly, nor are you entrusted to their care or responsible for their ordinary pursuits of life

[108] Do not assail those who incorporate with Allah other deities nor their idols with abusive language conveying injurious reproach lest they should revile Allah in retaliation by want of thought. Thus did We allure every nation acting upon a given belief to brighter present and happier destiny, then back to Allah, their Creator, all are destined to go, there and then shall He inform them of all that their minds and souls had impelled them to do

[109] The infidels make a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah that if a significant sign be revealed to them to evince both Muhammad’s Prophethood and integrity; they would most certainly accept it. Say to them: "Revelations and signs evincing my Prophethood and the truth of my mission rest in the hands of Allah alone. Nonetheless, how do you know, you Muslims, whether the infidels will or will not favourably respond to the miraculous sign

[110] We divert their hearts, their feelings and their sight from one thought to another and throw their minds into confusion and We manoeuvre their disposition to induce difficulties sufficient to turn the edge of the finest wit that they lose sight of the truth as they did at the beginning and shall do henceforth. And We give them plenty of rope to allow them free scope of action in order to commit themselves to the loss in the maze of error

[111] Had We sent down angels whom they could perceive by sight and resurrected for them the dead to discourse with them practical divinity, and thronged before their eyes, beings, matters and affairs of the spiritual world, they would not have acknowledged the truth nor would they have conformed to Islam unless it be the will of Allah. But most of them are so ignorant to realize this fact

[112] Thus did We apply to every Prophet enemies characterized with Satanic attributes among both mankind and the Jinn who actuate each other with the feeling of confidence pertaining to fair-spoken discourse with implication of deceit. Had Allah willed they would never have dwelled on such settled behaviour as representative of feeling or opinion nor lingered round it. Therefore, let them sink under the vexations of their thoughtless minds and befool the minds and judgement of the people so as to cause what is false to be accepted as true

[113] Such deceit attracts the victims of deception who deny the truth of the Hereafter and allow themselves to be deluded. They accept such deceitful discourse with consenting minds and open their hearts’ ears to such deceitful advice as these satanic incline them to propound, and perpetrate what their submitting minds and souls impel them to do

[114] Say to them O Muhammad: "Shall I choose a judge besides Allah when it is He Who makes and gives the law whereas all other judges only interpret it? It is He Who has sent down -the Quran- distinctly expressing all that is meant leaving nothing merely implied," .Ahl al-Kitab know it is Allah's sent Book in all truth. Therefore, do not let O Muhammad those who hide the truth and contend with opposing arguments influence your feelings or put you in doubt

[115] And now has the word of Allah, your Creator, answered the purpose and complied with the conditions truthfully and justly; His words are decisive, irrevocable and conclusive, and He is AL-Sami’ (Omnipresent with unlimited audition) and AL-'Alim

[116] And if you open your heart’s ears to people at large domiciled on earth, most of them shall alienate you from Allah's purpose and lead you in the wrong; they only follow the false suppositions and the incitement arising from the state of their minds and feelings; they simply lie and indeed they lie in their teeth

[117] Allah, your Creator, knows best who intentionally or unintentionally alienates himself from His path of righteousness and alienates His purpose, just as He has cognizance of those whose feet are irresistibly drawn by magnetic influence, as it were, to the path of righteousness

[118] Therefore, do not lend an ear to those who deny Allah and set themselves at defiance, but eat only of the flesh of the permitted animals slaughtered under the invocation of Allah's Name if indeed you have solemnly accepted His revelations and signs betokening His Authority

[119] And why should you not eat of the flesh of the permitted animals slaughtered under the invocation of Allah's Name when He has designated to you the forbidden and admitted of relaxation under compelling circumstances! Indeed a good many lead themselves as well as others in the wrong upon their desires reflecting ignorance and want of knowledge. But Allah knows well those who disregard His commandments and go beyond the limits prescribed by Him

[120] And avoid the impious, the immoral and the sinful act whether it be apparent or real, committed openly or secretly or suggested secretly to the mind. Indeed those who commit themselves to an evil line of conduct shall be requited with what is commensurate with their evil deeds

[121] Therefore do not eat of the flesh of the permitted animal which has not been slaughtered under the invocation of Allah's Name; this is impiety. The Satanic suggest to the minds of those similarly disposed to contend with you with opposing arguments, and should you yield to their incitement of evil, you will have reverted to paganism

[122] Does he who has been destitute of spiritual life and We inspirited with illumination and enlightenment to conduct himself well among the people and Providence his guide, compare with him who is led by the nose by the prince of darkness into deepest dismay where there is no escape! Thus were the infidels deluded with sensuous notions that in vain they wasted their days

[123] Thus did We set in every city the principal persons among the people who set no bounds to their sensuous vain and evil desires to take cunning for a sinister and crooked wisdom, and lie in wait to deceive the people, when in fact they beset themselves with evils and malice but they fail to perceive

[124] When an authoritative revelation or a sign is revealed to them, they interpret their thoughts in words: "We will not", they say: "Conform to Islam until we are accorded the like of what the Messengers of Allah were given by inspiration". Indeed Allah knows best whom to entrust with His divine message. But those who grow daily more and more wicked shall be subjected to humiliation in heaven's realm and shall be imprisoned in the realm of Hell in requital of, taking cunning for a sinister and crooked wisdom

[125] Nonetheless, he whom Allah wills to guide to His path of righteousness, He comforts him with strange and mystical feelings and makes his breast -the seat of affections and emotions - amenable and responsive to the joyful thought of conforming to Islam. But he whom Allah decides to leave to his evil thoughts, He tightens his reins in despair and tightens his chest so as to be rendered impervious to a breath of spiritual knowledge; a feeling similar to that he experiences if he were climbing skywards to high altitudes*. Thus does Allah afflict those who deny Him with the torment laid on the damned

[126] But why follow the crooked path when Allah's path is a path of piety, righteousness and virtue! We have expounded Our revelations to people who keep Allah in mind

[127] Who shall make abode in heaven's realm in a world of peace in the August presence of Allah, their Creator, Who shall overshadow them by His gracious wing in return for the deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety

[128] And on the Day -Allah- throngs them all, He shall say to them: "O you people of the Jinn, you seduced many among mankind and led them astray". Their allies among mankind shall say: "O Allah, our Creator, We had enjoyed each other and mutually profited one another until our predetermined time was fulfilled". Then says Allah: "The realms of Hell are where you make abode wherein you will have passed through nature to eternal suffering except as Allah wills. Allah, your Creator, is indeed Hakimun and 'Alimun

[129] Thus do We induce those who confirm themselves in prepensed malice to be attracted to each other and be disposed to tutelary friendship by reason of their common attributes and of exercising themselves for the purpose of alienating people from Allah's purpose

[130] In Day of Judgement shall all be addressed , thus: "O you people of the Jinn and mankind, asks Allah, "did you not receive Messengers, people of your own , to present you with My signs and narrate to you My revelations evincing both My Omnipotence and Authority, and warn you of this Momentous Day! "We plead guilty, they say, and we confess to the charge". They were deceived by the sensuous enjoyment, they regarded as the chief object of life, and they were witnesses of their own actions and of their deeds reflecting infidelity and disobedience to Allah

[131] Among the set of Allah's correlated principles is His merciful dealing with the guilty who lacked knowledge of what is wrong and what is right, nor has he been guided or warned. Therefore, never would Allah, your Creator, do away with the cities when their inhabitants were unconscious of the wrong they were accustomed to do

[132] There are grades for all; grades of appreciation and those of depreciation, grades commensurate with deeds, and Allah, your Creator, is not unaware of what people do

[133] Allah, your Creator, is the Independent, the Absolute and the Source of mercy; if He wills, He can do away with you people and replace you by others of His choice just as He brought you into being from the posterity of other people

[134] You people had better realize that all that you have been promised shall come to pass at the predetermined point of time and you shall not be able to avert what shall befall you nor things threatened

[135] Say to them O Muhammad: "O you people of thoughtless minds, you may pursue what your minds and souls impel you to do, but I am steering my course of action by guiding indications set by Providence Who guides into all truth, and you shall come to know who shall be the winner of Allah's mercy Hereafter and who shall succeed in attaining the blissful and happy end. Never shall the wrongful find one instance of physical or spiritual prosperity Hereafter

[136] And the idolaters, in their corrupted minds, portion out to Allah a share of what He Himself has created of crops and cattle, and another share they apportion to their idols which they regard as their predominant partners. And what they apportion to their partners reach them in full*; whereas what is apportioned to Allah is hardly spent in divine service**. Evil indeed is the proposition their minds assent to

[137] Furthermore, infanticide - mainly females, occasionally a male - was imposed by the Satanic mediators as a religious rite which allured many of them to brighter worlds; a plan devised by the priests and the satanic to demoralize them and induce them to perfect their own ruin and throw their idolism into confusion. Had Allah willed they would not have indulged in such an evil practice. Therefore let them O Muhammad sink under the vexations of their thoughtless minds and befool the minds and the judgement of the people so as to cause what is false to be accepted as true

[138] They classified cattle and crops into

[139] Again they exercise their corrupted minds in creating another taboo. They say: "What these cattle carry in their wombs are reserved exclusively for our males and forbidden to our females, unless the offspring be a still-born then both sexes go shares". Allah shall requite them for this discrimination they falsely picture as a divine ordinance. He is Hakimun and 'Alimun

[140] Losers indeed are those who foolishly and irreligiously committed the crime of infanticide, an evil wrought by want of thought. Who forbade the victuals provisioned for them; forging lies against Allah and criminally relating to Him falsehood. They have indeed erred and strayed and they missed the path of righteousness

[141] He is it Who brought into being orchards, some trellised and others untrellised. He brought into being the palm trees and the whole of the agricultural yield of every district and season, varying in kind and in flavour, and the olives and the pomegranates besides many others of similar species and dissimilar class. Eat, therefore, of their flowers when they come to be fruits and grow ripe and pay, when you reap in harvest, what ought to be given in benevolence or in alms, but avoid prodigality, for Allah does not like the extravagant

[142] And of the cattle, he availed you of some to carry your burdens and provide you with commodities and others for meat. Therefore, eat of what Allah has provisioned you, it is all replete with choice of all delights, and do not follow the footsteps of AL-Shaytan nor walk in the footsteps of those with characteristics befitting AL-Shaytan. He is indeed your avowed enemy

[143] Another strained point upon which the whole unreasoning turns is their superstitious belief of dedicating what they consider sacred to their males denying and condemning their females. Thus they dedicate what sheep and goats, camels and oxen carry in their wombs to their males and exclude their females; a concept bringing Us to eight copulatory mates. Four of them are a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Ask them O Muhammad: "Is it the two males or the two females that Allah has forbidden or is it what both females carry in their wombs! "Tell me who gave you this authority that you speak like a book if indeed you are declaring the truth

[144] And to keep to the point-, there follow the pair of camels and those of oxen. Ask them: "Is it the two males or the two females that Allah has forbidden or is it what the two females carry in their wombs! "Or were you present as spectators and auditors at the execution of the alleged divine ordinance enjoined by Allah and you subscribe it in attestation thereof! " Who then is more wicked indeed than he who viciously and wrongful relates to Allah falsehood and acts as a guide to people when his ignorance has reached up unto heaven! Indeed Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the vicious and wrongful of actions

[145] Say to them O Muhammad: "I do not find among the divine ordinances inspired to me an act prohibiting an article of food consumed by mankind unless it be, a permitted animal found dead –carrion- or blood streaming from an animal or the flesh of swine; this is impure and unclean food. There is also the permitted animal slaughtered under the invocation of a name other than that of Allah. But under compelling circumstances and not in transgression shall Allah admit of relaxation; Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[146] And to those imbued with Jewish doctrines and principles We forbade every animal with undivided hoof -camels, rabbits, hares- and of the oxen and the sheep We forbade them only their fat except the fat covering their backs and their entrails and the fat attached to the bones. This prohibition was imposed on them in requital of their vice and corruption. This is the truth We justly declare

[147] Should they disbelieve you O Muhammad then say to them: " Allah's mercy is vast; it is extended to all, especially to those who repent. But His indignation against those who grow daily more and more wicked is irrevocable

[148] And to excuse their unjustifiable infidelity, the idolaters will insolently say: "Had Allah willed, neither we nor our fathers would have incorporated with Him other deities nor would we have instituted taboos. Thus much did their predecessors charge their Messengers with falsehood until they tasted the fatal consequences of the evil way they conducted themselves in life. Say to them O Muhammad: "Do you have such knowledge serving as evidence to bring it to book? "You only follow the false suppositions and the incitement arising from the state of your minds and feelings; you simply lie and indeed you lie your teeth

[149] Say to them: "The final and authoritative proof and pronouncement lie in the hands of Allah; had He willed, He would have guided you all to His path of righteousness

[150] Say to them: "Bring your witnesses who are able to testify that Allah has forbidden all that you presumed He has" . And should they bear witness to this effect, then do not give credence to their testimony, they are lying, nor act upon their desires or the desires of those denying Our revelations and signs and the truth of the Hereafter who equalize Allah, with creatures of their fancy incorporating them with Him as a corporate deity

[151] Say to them: "Come: I will give you an account of all that Allah has forbidden

[152] You must not encroach upon the property of the orphan, unless it be with the motive of improving, advancing or raising it to a better quality or condition, until he or she reaches maturity and be able to take charge of it

[153] And to complete worthily and bless with a divine issue, Allah says to you"; "This is My path of righteousness; follow it, you may attain moral straightness, goodness, integrity, virtue and piety. Do not tread other paths lest you miss the path chosen to guide you into all truth. " This is what He has commended unto you so that you may hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[154] Aforetime We had given Mussa the Book -AL-Tawrah- completed to the taste of those who had obeyed Allah and conformed their will to His will. It was well expounded to interpret all matters and issues , guiding people into all truth and a mercy vouchsafed by Allah to His creatures; they might faithfully realize that they shall inevitably assemble before Him, at the predetermined point of time

[155] And this Quran We sent down as a mercy and knowledge personified, confeing divine favour and invoking blessings on those who have the world all before them and Providence their guide. Therefore, follow its precepts and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah so that you may hopefully be recipients of His mercy

[156] We have sent it down as the spirit of truth guiding into all truth lest you people render such a reason as to say: "The Book sent down to the people of Mussa and to those of Isa aforetime was expressed in their own tongues, in languages, we were not taught nor did we understand"; an excuse which it shall no longer be possible to justify

[157] Or you may say: "Had we received their Book we would have regarded with more reverence and veneration, and in all things we would have conformed our will to Allah's will and we would have regarded His way but the one way of arriving at the truth". Now, there has come to you a convincing evidence of the truth of Our Messenger's mission and with him has come the Quran with illumination and enlightenment and a spirit of truth guiding into all truth and inviting Allah's mercy. Therefore, who is more wicked than he who denies Allah's revelations and signs and counsels deaf to Allah's disclosure of divine knowledge and spiritual enlightenment! Indeed, those who counsel deaf to Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority shall be put to the torment laid upon the damned in requital of closing their hearts, ears and their minds’ eyes to intellectual and spiritual enlightenment

[158] Do they purpose to wait until some fitting event presents itself and they distinctly perceive the angels or perceive Allah, your Creator, Himself by sight or. Some of His signs evincing both His Omnipotence and the truth of your mission! But when such overwhelming signs present themselves, no soul which did not surrender itself earlier to Allah's Authority nor accomplished a useful purpose in virtue of its faith, shall profit of its submission now. Say to them: "Await the justice prepared above in heaven's realm and we will await it also

[159] Indeed, those who broke the unity of their religion and separated it into parts in fact and in thought, in opinion and in feeling and in interest and set themselves at variance shall have much to answer for; you are not a part of them nor have you a personal relation with them nor will you be responsible for the way they conduct themselves in life. Their account rests with Allah Who shall inform them in Day of Judgement of all that they perpetrated of wrong doings

[160] He who crowns the deed with equity, shall be rewarded with ten times what is commensurate with his equitable deed and he who commits himself to an evil line of conduct shall be requited with what is commensurate with the evil deed and no one shall ever be wronged

[161] Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah, my Creator, has guided me to the path of glory, the path of moral straightness, goodness and integrity, virtue and piety; the path of righteousness, the path on which was founded the religion of Ibrahim, the Orthodox Muslim, who never incorporated with Allah other deities

[162] Say to them: "Indeed, my act of worship and my pilgrimage and all religious rites incidental to it are acts due in discharge of the debt to Allah, my Creator and Creator of the universe, and my life and my death are processes asserted as His own

[163] No partners does He have nor does He have anyone associated with Him in any function, act or course of action. To this fundamental truth I have been enjoined to adhere and I am the first who have conformed to Islam

[164] Say to them: "Shall I choose a god other than Allah, the Creator, Who is the Creator of the whole and of all in all". And no soul imprints its deed with piety or with evil but it is to its own credit or discredit respectively, nor shall a soul bearing wrongs or not, bear the wrong of another, then back to Allah, your Creator, you are all destined to go. There and then shall He inform you of the detailed particulars of all the points upon which the whole unreasoning turned

[165] He is it Who has inducted you on earth and made one generation inherit the other, and He promoted and exalted, in rank, honour, estimation, development, power, and wealth some above others, and arranged you in grades so as to test your qualities with what He has ordained for you. You had better realize that Allah, your Creator, is swift indeed in putting the law in execution and in effecting just retribution and He is also Ghafurun and Rahimun

[1] (aIef) L. (lam) M. (meem) S. (sa)

[2] A Book -the Quran- is revealed to you O Muhammad, laying upon you an immense responsibility for which you have been chosen. Therefore, let it not oppress your thoughts and feelings or depress your spirits, but use it and act upon it to warn those who deny the truth and to put those who have conformed to Islam in mind of their duties

[3] And you people, act, in accordance with all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, and take not besides Allah tutelary guardians; they will influence you to revert in character to your aboriginal stocks. How little you people keep Allah in mind

[4] How many towns did We reduce into a useless form in requital of their wickedness which grew more and more daily. Great was Our indignation against them that it spoke thunder on some at night while asleep* and on others during their siesta

[5] When our anger was displayed in action, nothing did they say with pining regrets and vain repentance but: "we were wrongful of actions

[6] Indeed, We will call to account all those to whom Messengers were sent; they shall have much to answer for, and We will question the Messengers whom We had sent

[7] There and then will We narrate to all and each their biography with full knowledge of those who excelled in most parts and of those who failed in the most part so that they realize that We were never absent but Omnipresent

[8] The balance of justice on this Momentous Day is truth personified. He, whose deeds of wisdom and piety surpass in weight, shall he and such persons rejoice beyond a common joy

[9] And he whose iniquities surpass in weight shall he and such persons be losers, their iniquities and unjust treatment of Our revelations and signs have lost them their souls

[10] We have firmly established you people on earth and endowed you with the means of living, and with conditions capable of being turned to use, yet how little are thankful

[11] And We brought you into being by a special creation, and We fashioned you and gave you form and countenance and made you a determinate exalted being. Then We said to the augels: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam -your archetype- in adoration" and the angels prostrated in comely order, praise and adoration, except Iblis who aspersed with calumny and declined

[12] Then Allah asked: "What prompted you AL-Shaytan not to prostrate to Adam when I commanded you to do so!". "But I am of a better sort than he is". Said AL-Shaytan; "You created me from fire whereas You created him from clay

[13] Then down you go", Allah said: " From this blissful state; you are doomed to a lower state". " You are here in heaven's realm in the August presence where you cannot display inordinate self - esteem nor exhibit an overweening opinion of your quality, you are dismissed from My heaven's realm, doomed to the vicissitudes of deposition and degradation

[14] Give me respite", Said AL-Shaytan, "till the day they are resurrected

[15] Allah said: "You are granted, like those with characteristics befitting you, a delay of punishment till the predetermined Eventful Hour

[16] Then said AL-Shaytan: " Since You have dismissed me and sent me astray, I will lie in ambush in Your path of righteousness and seduce as many of mankind as I can to decoy therefrom and make vices lurk in the secret corners of their souls

[17] And I will assail them emotionally and mentally from every side; I will leap at them from front and from behind, from their right and from their left to assail their virtue/and You shall find most of them not feeling or displaying gratitude

[18] Go away from here", Allah said: "Despised and rejected; I will fill the realms of Hell with you and with the like of you and with all those of mankind who take you as a guide and accept your authority

[19] As for you Adam", Allah said: "You and your wife make abode in Paradise and eat as you will and wherever you will; it is all replete with choice of all delights, and enjoy all that affords pleasure, but do avoid this particular tree; keep off it and do not draw near it lest you both be wrongful of actions

[20] And there did AL-Shaytan sneakingly whisper them, instigating evil in their repositories of consciousness. He suggested secretly to their minds what made them unintentionally lose their modesty and decency and expose of their bodies what did put them to shame. He said to them: "Allah only forbade you this tree lest you should come to be angels or you be qualified to infinite existence

[21] He swore to them that he was a sincere advisory having the attribute of advising and offering counsel

[22] No sooner did they have a taste of the fruit of the forbidden tree than their private parts were exposed, and they realized, then, how shameful this was. They kept collecting leaves from the trees in Paradise to cover their naked bodies, which aroused their sense of shame. There and then, did Allah, their Creator, summon them by a call and say to them: " Did I not command you both to keep off this tree, and say to you that AL-Shaytan was and shall always be your avowed enemy

[23] Indeed O Allah, our Creator", they said: "We were wrongful of actions, and unless You, in Whom we have the forgiveness of sins, extend Your mercy to both of us and forgive us, we will most certainly be great losers

[24] Allah said: "Upon Our command We down all of you upon, to a lower state with mutual enmity to each other and you shall settle on earth where you make abode and livelihood for a predetermined point of time

[25] Therein shall you live, and within there shall you die, and therefrom shall you be resurrected

[26] O you Children of Adam: We have furnished you with a raiment to screen your nakedness, which offends your sense of modesty and decency, and with a top attire to adorn your personal appearance, and best of all is the vesture of piety. This is one of Allah's striking disclosures to man, so that –you- people may hopefully reflect

[27] O you Children of Adam: Let not AL-Shaytan lead you astray nor tempt you to do what is wrong as he had allured your aboriginal parents by the use of cunning and deceitful attractions inducing them to lose their modesty and decency and expose their private parts and there, he attained the desired end and the goal to his will, besides prompting their expulsion from Paradise. He sees you, and so do his associates, whereas you do not perceive them by sight. We made the satanic take interest in those who deny Allah

[28] And when the Pagans commit themselves to an evil line of conduct* they claim this has been the system on which their fathers were bent, and they insolently allege that Allah has enjoined this set of correlated principles belonging to their belief. Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah does not enjoin immorality nor ordain what is evil or impure, viscious or dissolute; do you people relate to Allah a world you see in a grain of sand or a heaven in a wild flower and from ignorance your comfort flows

[29] Say to them: " Allah has enjoined the quality of being morally just and the principle of just dealing; He enjoined just conduct, integrity and righteousness, and that you set your minds toward Him at all times and your faces to Him at every mosque where you dutifully observe your act of worship, and invoke Him for mercy and blessings, devoting to Him alone, all religious rites on the ground that as he brought you into being so shall He resurrect you to go back to Him

[30] Some, He has justly guided to His path of righteousness, and some deserved to be lost in the maze of error; they chose to take AL-Shaytan and the satanic as their guide and be under their tutelage besides that of Allah, and they deduce they are assuming the right course

[31] O you children of Adam: Pay attention to your personal appearance and your apparel at every mosque where you dutifully observe your act of worship. The apparel often proclaims the man and his due respect for the dignity of the occasion, not to mention the solemnity of applying your minds to the presence of Allah. Do not be influenced by the Pagan's superstitions of permitting certain kinds of food and prohibiting others, but eat and drink of the permitted but avoid intemperance; Allah does not like the extravagant who carry anything to excess

[32] Say to them O Muhammad: "Who has forbidden the material objects and articles of apparel Allah has produced to His servants to confer on them a combination of qualities affording keen pleasure to the senses especially that of sight, and charming the intellectual and moral faculties! And who has forbidden the virtues adorning the mind and piety adorning the character, qualities giving distinction! And who has forbidden the worthy and wholesome victuals Allah has provisioned" Say to them: such articles and objects, material and immaterial are reserved exclusively in. Day of Judgment for those whose hearts were impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues in life below. Thus, do We expound Our revelations and render Our discourse readily understood by those who reflect

[33] Say to them: " Allah has forbidden indeed the evil line of conduct implying immorality, be it apparent or real, committed overtly or secretly or suggested secretly to the mind, and He forbids unwarranted severe course of action and that you people incorporate with Him other deities of material or immaterial nature whom He never authorized, and that you relate to Him a world you see in a grain of sand or a heaven in a wild flower and from ignorance your comfort flows

[34] And to every people, all and each, We have ordained a definite point of time, and when their time is fulfilled never shall they be able to delay it or anticipate for one hour or infinitely less

[35] O you children of Adam: when there come to you Messengers from among you to narrate to you My signs and recite to you My revelations betokening My Omnipotence and Authority, bow down your ears and listen graciously, and remember that he who entertains the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and prints his deeds with wisdom and piety shall have escaped censure; he and such persons shall have no ground for alarm nor shall fear or dread fall upon them nor shall they come to grief

[36] Whereas those who reject faith and deny Allah and His ordinances and refuse to recognize Our revelations and signs shall be the inmates of Hell wherein they will have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[37] Who is more wrong than he who viscously and wrongfully relates to Allah falsehood or denies His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority! Such persons do have what has been apportioned to them in life according to their good or bad books, just as they do have access to the share of the Book imparted to them by Our Messengers. And when Our angels of death disembody their souls at the predetermined point of time, they ask them: "where now are those you incorporated with Allah and invoked besides Him!". They have forsaken and renounced us " they say, and failed our expectation " So; they were witnesses of their own actions and of their deeds reflecting infidelity and disobedience to Allah

[38] And in Day* of Judgment, they shall be told: "Join those nations and generations of the Jinn and mankind who preceded you in the realm of Hell. As often as a fresh nation, united in evil thought and deeds, is ushered in with gusts of firey wind, it pours maledictions upon its unwise sister, until they are all thronged in, then shall the latter turn their eyes upon the former and direct their spoken words to Allah, thus: " These, O Allah, our Creator, whom we thought were the example to follow, had indeed misled us and alienated us from Your purpose: requite them O Allah with double the torment in the fire" .There, Allah says: "But all and each suffers twice as much but you do not know

[39] Then says the former to the latter: "You lacked intellectual, moral and spiritual perception and therefore you were not of advantage to us but we were both entangled in one party defiled with sin. There, Allah says: you have well deserved the torment in requital of what your minds and souls had impelled you to do

[40] Indeed, those who denied Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and authority and their pride got the better of their prudence, are they who were born to be great losers. Never shall heaven open its gates nor shall they enter Paradise until the camel passes through the needle's eye: thus, do We requite the sinful who grow daily more and more wicked

[41] Hell shall be the bed they have made for themselves as a result of their iniquities; they shall be tossed in blankets of fire. Thus do We requite the wrongful

[42] But those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds with wisdom and piety, realize that We do not charge a soul with more than it can bear. It is they who have the rightful claim to Paradise wherein they shall have passed through nature to Eternity

[43] We will delete all that was embedded of bitter ill -feeling from their bosoms and blot out all that lurked in their memories of grudge and hatred so as to make the clouds of the past dissolve in the glorious light .They shall jointly rejoice beyond a common joy, and in the ecstasy of their joy they shall enjoy the blissful rivers flowing beneath them and interpret their feeling of gratitude in words, thus: " Praise be to Allah and exalted are His glorious attributes: He guided us to His path of righteousness, and without His guidance we would have missed it and we would have been alienated from His purpose" ."Indeed His Messengers have brought us illumination and enlightenment and brought the truth which dawned upon us and upon those who, had worshipped stocks and stones earlier". There and then they shall be told: "This is Paradise of which you have come into possession by right and divine grant

[44] Then shall those rejoicing in Paradise call the inmates of Hell and say to them: "We have found what Allah had promised us the truth personified: have you found what Allah had promised you to be true!". "Indeed we have", say the inmates of Hell. And there, shall one of the sentinels, declare thus: "Allah's curse is cast upon the wrongful of actions

[45] The wrongful who stood in the way to prevent Allah's spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth, making it their aim to pervert the truth and crook the path of righteousness to their own ends, and never did they acknowledge the truth of the Hereafter

[46] Between those in the realm of Paradise and these in the realm of Hell, there shall be a partition veiling those from these; at its height, stand men* able to distinguish those in Paradise from these in Hell by the language spoken by their countenances. They greet those in Paradise with the customary formula "Peace be upon you";people to whom paradise was not particularly their aim but only the obedience to Allah

[47] And when their eyes are turned toward the inmates in the realm of Hell, they pray: O Allah our Creator, we pray and beseech You not to associate us with the wrongful of actions

[48] Then those on the heights shall address those whom they recognize by the language spoken by there countenances: " Do you now realize that all that you had amassed of wealth and all the multitudinous you associated with did not avail you a useful purpose nor did your inordinate self-esteem

[49] They add: "Are those not they you declared on oath that Allah would never extend His mercy to them!". "As you can clearly see, Allah has greeted them and said to them". I bid you a hearty welcome; go into the world of splendour and surpassing beauty, the world of Paradise and Eternity where you shall have no ground for alarm nor shall you come to grief

[50] Then shall those in the realm of Hell call those in the realm of Paradise saying: "Afford us some water or some of what Allah has provisioned you". In response they say: Allah has forbidden them to those who denied Him

[51] Who treated their religion mockingly and amused themselves with its principles and were deceived by the sensuous enjoyment they regarded as the chief object in life. "There, Allah says to them ": Now is the Day We forget you and you shall be left to twist and turn in the scorching flames of Hell in vindication of the right you had willfully forgotten; you neglected the noble discourse addressed by Our Messengers, and you failed to advance what would have served as a future security on this Momentous Day and you disregarded Allah and His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority

[52] We send down a Book expounding and distinctly expressing the sum of what is vaguely known and what is unknown and with the divine knowledge implying firm belief of what is true on sufficient grounds, a Book based on Our Omniscience of the whole and of all in all, serving as a guide and a mercy to those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[53] Do they -the infidels- purpose to wait until fitting events fulfill the prophecies and all that has been promised in the Book! But when such overwhelming events present themselves shall those who had disregarded the promise and willfully neglected it say: " Indeed; now we do realize that the Messengers of Allah had brought us the truth which dawned on us with illumination and enlightenment". "Are there intercessors to intercede for us or can we be permitted to go back to life below to decide more wisely, think better than what our minds and souls had impelled us to do! " Indeed they have lost their own souls and have been forsaken and renounced by those whom they presumed to share with Allah His divine nature, who failed their expectation

[54] Indeed; Allah, your Creator, is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days* determined by His own unit of time and proclaimed in His calendar, then He set Himself on the throne of supremacy and dominion and of grace and mercy. He causes the day to lose its identity and its character by absorption into the night; both revolving swiftly in pursuit of each other and one dies into the other**. And the sun, the moon and the stars, He has governed by His cosmic laws and reduced to a state of subservience by His command. Indeed to Him belongs the creation of the whole and of all in all. Praise be to Allah, Creator of the universe and extolled are His glorious attributes

[55] Invoke Allah, your Creator, with bated breath and whispering humbleness and in secret; He does not like the law transgressors, who go beyond the limits prescribed by Him

[56] Nor does He like those who create discord and make mischief on earth after it has been set in order. And invoke Him with mingled feeling of dread of his just punishment and with reverence, hope and expectation of His mercy and blessings His mercy is indeed in immediate proximity of those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[57] He is it Who sends forth the wind as a forerunner of His mercy heralding a joyful event The watery vapor condenses and floats in the upper air and when it is about to gender a storm We drive it by high winds to a dead or droughty land where it pours its rain and with it We cause the various products to spring up from the soil*. Similarly do We resurrect the dead; an action consequent on Allah's will and it is hoped people will ponder

[58] Physically, the rich soil responds favourably to the fertilizing showers of rain and yields, Allah willing, a rich harvest, -and spiritually, the godly soul' and the clean heart respond favourably to the fertilizing religious conviction and yield piety-, whereas rain physically and admonition spiritually evoke no response in both the bad soil and the evil souls. Thus do We orient Our revelations to circumstances and requirements expounding them to people impelled to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness

[59] We send Nuh to his people to prevail upon them to recognize Allah. He said: "O my people worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; you have no Ilah but Him! "I fear for you an immense. punishment on a Momentous Day

[60] But those of his people in whose hearts reigned vices and follies said to him: " Indeed, we see that you are lost in the maze of error

[61] My people", he said, "I do not hold a mistaken belief nor do I stand in error or wish to put you in the wrong, but I am a Messenger from Allah, the Creator of the whole and of all in all

[62] A Messenger who has come to relate to you the message entrusted to me by Allah, my Creator, and to advise you and offer you counsel". "You had better realize that I have knowledge of the truth imparted to me by Allah, and you just do not know what is true and therefore will not know what is good

[63] Do you people consider it exceptional to a degree that excites astonishment that Allah sends to you illumination and enlightenment at the hands of a man from your midst in the capacity of a spectacle and a warning to guide you into all truth and induce you to recognize Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him so that you may hopefully invite His mercy and blessings

[64] Yet they disbelieved him, refused to give him credence and thought he was conveying a false message In consequence, We rescued him together with those who willingly accepted his message. We put them on board ship -the Ark- and We drowned, in the flood, those who drowned themselves in sin and denied Our signs. Their minds' eyes were indeed blind

[65] And to the people of 'Ad (the 'Adites), We sent one from among their brotherhood, the Messenger Hud, who said to them: "O my people, worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; you have no Ilah but Him; can you not open your mind's eyes, reverence Him and lift to Him your inward sight

[66] But those of his people in whose hearts reigned vices, follies and falsehood said to him. "We can see that you are an impudent simpleton, and we think you are a great liar

[67] Hud said: "My people, I am not deficient in sense or intelligence nor does my action bespeak weakness of mind. I am a Messenger who is sent to you by Allah, Creator of the whole and of all in all

[68] I have been sent to relate to you Allah's messages of truth guiding into all truth, and I am a sincere and an honest adviser who gives you counsel and cautions you against denying Allah

[69] Do you people consider it exceptional to a degree that excites astonishment that Allah sends to you illumination and enlightenment at the hands of a man from your midst in the capacity of a spectacle and a warning to guide you into all truth! " "You had better recall to mind his favours and impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude for the efficacious grace He conferred on you; He made you the inheritors of the people of Nuh and imparted to you a wealth of knowledge, and privileged you with a distinguished stature more than He graced other nations". Therefore, remember with gratitude and humility the privileges He bestowed on you so that Heaven may prosper you

[70] Yet they said to him: "Did you come to us O Hud to induce us to worship Allah alone and renounce the form of religious worship practiced by our fathers and the gods to whom they paid reverence and veneration!". " Then bring to pass the punishment you have promised, if in fact you declare the truth

[71] Now", said Hud, " you have confirmed yourselves in prepensed malice and the prophesy of Allah's punishment and indignation against you is thus ratified". "Do you contend against Allah in favour of your named idols you and your fathers designated as gods, objects Allah never authorized! " "You Just await the justice prepared above in heaven's realm; I will await it also

[72] And so We rescued him together with those who conformed their will to Allah's will by the grace of Our mercy, and We uprooted from the earth those who denied Our signs; they were wrongful of actions

[73] And to the people of Thamud (the Thambdites) We sent their brother Saleh who said to then: "O my people worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites you have no Ilah but Him. "There has come to you a sign from Allah, your Creator, evincing both the truth of my mission and Allah's supremacy. It is this she-camel which is exclusively His own". " Let it feed freely on pasture in Allah's earth, and keep her out of harm's way lest you be heavily punished

[74] Recall to mind His favours and impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude for the efficacious grace He conferred on you. He made you the inheritors of the people of 'Ad (the 'Adites) and made the earth your world of destined habitation". "on its plains you erect buildings, palaces and castles, and its mountains you hew and carve into homes". "Therefore, remember with gratitude and humility the privileges He bestowed on you and stop making mischief on earth and refrain from creating discord

[75] But the extravagant in their accounts of themselves among his people in whose hearts reigned vices, follies and falsehood said to those whom they viewed with contempt on account of conforming to Islam: " Do you really believe that Saleh has been sent by Allah, his Creator, in the capacity of an Messenger?" "Indeed We do", they said, "and We acknowledge his mission and give credence to the spirit of truth imparted to him from Heaven guiding into all truth

[76] But those who proudly deny just requests said: " We refuse, to acknowledge or give credence to what you have accepted with consenting minds

[77] They manifested repugnance and disabled the she - camel by cutting her hamstring muscles in opposition and disobedience to Allah's command and authority and they said to Saleh: "Now, let us see how you will bring to pass the catastrophe you threatened that heaven would inflict if indeed you are an Messenger sent by Allah

[78] There, did the destructive convulsion of the earth's surface seize them and reduced them to a useless form and laid them prostrate and dead under the ruins of their demolished homes

[79] But Saleh had warned them beforehand of the impending danger, and when he was met with defiance, he relinquished the prospect of their conformity to Islam. And when heaven avenged its own right, he turned away expressing his grief, Thus: "My people", he said "I conveyed to you Allah's message and His warning and I advised you against disobedience to Allah and I announced the event, but you do not seem to like those who give you advice

[80] And Lut who said to his people: "Do you commit such an immorality as is contrary to the general inherent character and moral constitution and never has it been practiced by Humans before

[81] You certainly have sensuous desire for men in lieu of women, you are indeed a people given to excess and perversion

[82] But what was the response of his people other than to say: " Oust Lut, his family and those who fell in line of your town, and drive them away; they are averse to our disposition and wish to cleanse themselves of what they imagine to be moral defilement

[83] So, We rescued him together with his family but not his wife who was just as wicked as those to whom she adhered

[84] We poured down upon them a rain of hard baked clay of brimstones, and you can see the fatal consequence of those who were steeped in crime

[85] And to the people of Madyan (Midian), We sent their brother Shu'aib, who said to them: "O my people worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; you have no Ilah but Him. There has come to you a sign from Allah, your Creator, evincing both the truth of my mission and Allah's supremacy. Therefore, dispense the measure and the weight equitably to the full and do not scant peoples' goods and chattels, chattels personal, chattels real nor chattels interest nor devalue what is valuable, nor create discord or make mischief on earth after it has been set in order". " This is best for you if indeed your hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[86] Nor lie in ambush" he added, in every paths threatening those of you who have conformed to Islam, obstructing the path leading them to moral straightness and uprightness, goodness and integrity, virtue and piety, making it your aim to pervert the truth and crook the path of righteousness to your own ends"." Remember when for once you were a small minority and how Allah made you multiply and reach the status of a majority, and look how fatal was the consequence of those who were characterized by acts of prepensed malice

[87] However, since some of you have acknowledged my mission and conformed their will to Allah's will whereas others have not, then have patience and await the event when the justice prepared in heaven's realm be executed by Allah; He is it Who gives the law whereas all other judges just interpret it; He excels all those who sit in judgement

[88] But the extravagant in their accounts of themselves among his people in whose hearts reigned vices, follies and falsehood said to him: "We will oust you of our town together with those who have followed you, and drive all of you away unless you desert your system of faith and worship in favour of ours". There, Shu'aib said: "Even though, with execrations, do we detest your system and shrink from it with horror

[89] If we should favour your system of faith and worship", said Shu'aib, "then we will have viciously and wrongfully related to Allah falsehood and denied His revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority". "And how could we turn renegade after we have been graced by Allah Who has delivered us from such an evil system of faith bringing nothing but harm here and Hereafter!" "This shall never happen", he added, "unless it be Allah's will that we be destined to lose our senses and be harmed by courage". "Allah's knowledge encompasses the wide circle of the whole and of all in all and Omniscience is asserted as His own.". " In Allah, our Creator, do we trust and to Him do we and our people plead our causes and He shall justly decide them". "O Allah, our Creator", he prayed, " You are the best and the most competent of all judges Who decide a case as put by opponent parties

[90] There and then said the wicked leaders among his people to those who did not gather to their leaders' standard: " If you should take Shu'aib as a guide and espouse his cause, then you shall be great losers

[91] But soon thereafter did the destructive convulsion of the earth's surface seize them and reduced them to a useless form and laid them prostrate and dead under the ruins of their demolished homes

[92] Consequently, those who treated Shu'aib as one who passes himself off as someone other than he is, were inflicted with an irretrievable disaster that they looked as if they had never dwelt nor flourished whereat they perished; those who treated Shu'aib as an imposter were born to be great losers

[93] But Shu'aib had warned them beforehand of the impending danger, and when he was met with defiance, he relinquished the prospects of their conformity to Islam. When heaven avenged its own right, he turned away expressing his thoughts in words, thus: "My people", he said, "I conveyed to you Allah's message and his warning and advised you against disobedience to Allah and I announced the event, therefore how can I grieve over people who obstinately denied Allah

[94] Nor did We ever send a Prophet to a town* with the spirit of truth guiding into all truth but We afflicted its people with misfortunes and wedded them to calamities in the hope they would, for their own sake, humble themselves to Allah

[95] Then We replaced the unfavorable conditions and hardships by favourable circumstances until they advanced in power, importance and prosperity and proclaimed in ignorance that what has befallen them of misfortunes happened to their fathers before, "and", they added, " it is only time that controls the wavering balance of fortune". In consequence, We suddenly seized them and dressed them with ruin and We caught them unawares

[96] Had the town's folk conformed to the system of faith and worship as ordained by Allah, and entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Him, We would have opened for them all channels of mercy, blessings and prosperity from the realm of heaven above them and from the earth beneath their feet. But they obstinately and insolently denied Our signs betokening Authority and by consequence We seized them and reduced them to ruins

[97] Are the town's folk certain in their minds they are secure against Our wrath which may speak thunder and be displayed in action at night while they are asleep

[98] Or are the town's folk certain in their minds they are secure against Our wrath which may speak thunder and be displayed in action in broad day light while conducting themselves in an unprofitable or an evil way

[99] Do they feel secure and from ignorance, their comfort flows to the extent that they can escape an event destined to happen according to Allah's plan! Indeed, no one in his own sound mind feels secure against Allah's predetermined actions but those who are born to be losers

[100] Can those people who have inherited the earth not perceive the signal instances of punishment which befell their predecessors and served as a deterrent! Do they not realize that We control their fate and that if We willed, We could requite them as and when We please for their iniquities and imprint their hearts with dullness of comprehension that they counsel deaf, unwilling to hear admonition

[101] These were the town's folk who were united in evil thoughts and deeds narrating their course of events and leading to a final catastrophes Their Messengers came to them carrying evidence sufficient to establish their delegated Authority to implement Our statutes. But they refused to acknowledge what they and their fathers denied before. Thus does Allah imprint the hearts of the disobedient who grow daily more and more wicked with dullness of comprehension

[102] We found most of them irresolute and untrue to their covenant and promise, and in the hearts of most of them reigned vices, follies and falsehood

[103] In succession, We sent Mussa to Pharaoh and his people in whose hearts reigned vices and falsehood and We equipped him with signs demonstrating delegated divine power and authority. But they were wrongful of actions; and there, you can see what was the end of those who were characterized with prepensed malice

[104] Mussa said to Pharaoh: "I am, O Pharaoh, a Messenger carrying a divine message from Allah, Creator of the universe

[105] With great care and solemnity do I relate to Allah nothing but the truth. "l do hereby present you people with a sign from Allah, your Creator, evincing both the truth of my mission and Allah's supremacy, and by virtue of this sign and of Allah's delegated authority I demand the release of Bani Israel from bondage and they be permitted to go with me to where they are free to practice Allah's system of faith and worship

[106] Pharaoh said: "If indeed you have a divine sign in your sleeve, then present it to view if you are telling the truth

[107] Mussa cast his staff on the ground, and instantaneously it was transformed into a serpent personified

[108] And he drew his hand from the folds of his garment and there it was instantaneously transfigured in a radiance of white divine light

[109] But then, said those among his people in whose hearts reigned vice and falsehood: "this man is indeed a necromancer skilled in magic, and the works of the Devil are being made manifest in him

[110] He means", they added, to oust you people of your land and drive you away. "Therefore what course of action do you suggest we should take in the face of this problem

[111] They suggested to Pharaoh they should adapt themselves and conform to the time and circumstances so as to gain time and added: "The time to degrade and defeat him and his brother has not come yet". "Meanwhile, send, O Pharaoh, some of your recruits to the cities to gather to themselves the multitude of men who practice magic

[112] And they bring back those among them who are skilled in the art of necromancy

[113] The experts and skilful in the art of necromancy came to Pharaoh and asked him. "Shall we be rewarded if we happen to prevail and gain superiority over them

[114] Indeed", said Pharaoh, "and you shall be in a position that entitles you to be among my retinue

[115] They said to Mussa: " Would you like to cast your artifice upon the ground first to present to view what you have up your sleeve, or shall we cast ours first

[116] You cast yours first", said Mussa, and when they did, they fascinated and bewitched the viewers eyes to the extent that they actuated them with the feeling of terror when they manifested forth their glorious performance

[117] There and then did We inspire Mussa to cast his staff upon the ground and there, it counter-worked their ingenious expedient and swallowed all that they cast upon the ground of fraudulent devices of a mean and deceptive kind

[118] And there, did heaven, earth and men evidence the truth which was justified by facts and results, just as they evidenced falsehood which was condemned by the annulment of all their various objects of fiction and delight

[119] There, before the multitudes and right before Pharaoh's eyes a damned defeat was made; those who had the expertise were reduced to impotence and were humiliated by defeat

[120] Overwhelmed with wonder, the sorcerers bowed to the ground in comely order, praise and admiration

[121] They declared, thus: "We do yield to the claims of Mussa and we surrender ourselves to Allah, the Creator of the universe

[122] The Ilah of Mussa and Harun

[123] There, Pharaoh said to them: "Have you yielded to his claims and surrendered yourselves to his Allah without my permission!" Indeed", he added, "This is a skilful deceit designed to outwit the inhabitants of the city to drive them out from hence, and in consequence you shall come to know how heavily you shall pay for this

[124] I will amputate your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will have you all crucified

[125] Gladly", they said to Pharaoh, "We welcome your decision which shall haste us unto Allah Who confers on us the glorious privilege of martyrs

[126] And they added: "Do you take vengeance on us just because we have acknowledged the signs of Allah when they were presented to us indicating clearly Allah's Omnipotence and Supremacy and because we asserted to the spirit of truth guiding into all truth!". And they prayed: O Allah, our Creator, inspire patience and just confidence to us and occasion our death as men who have conformed to Islam

[127] There and then said those of Pharaoh's people in whose hearts reigned vice, malice and falsehood: "O Pharaoh, would you set Mussa and his people free so as to create discord in the land and play the mischief with your subjects and renounce you and your gods, disclaiming obedience to your statutes!". " But, Pharaoh said: We will kill their sons, and to serve our purpose, spare their women, and we will gain mastery over them and be their supreme controlling power

[128] Implore Allah's aid", said Mussa to his people, "and have recourse to prayer, for more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of, and resort to patience to possess your souls". "The earth", he added, " belongs to Allah. He apportions it as a heritage to whom He will of His servants, and the happy outcome falls to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[129] But in despair did his people say to him: " We have been burdened with cruel impositions before you came to us and since you have been with us". " May Allah, your Creator, said Mussa , reduce your enemy into a useless form and designate you the successors in the land, and then He shall see how you conduct yourselves in life

[130] We subjected Pharaoh and his people to a retributory punishment and made them suffer heavy damage. They were pined with dearth, hunger and drought for years that they may hopefully humble themselves to Him and lift to Him their inward sight

[131] Whenever they had good fortune on their side they attributed it to their merit, and whenever they were befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity, they attributed it to Mussa and his people who were esteemed birds of evil omen presaging some direful calamity. Indeed, events portending good or evil and all that is destined to happen, rest in the hands of Allah, notwithstanding the mould of a man's fortune is in himself, and the event when justified is sanctioned by Allah, but most of them fail to perceive this fact

[132] Being arrogant, obstinate men of little intelligence they said to Mussa: "No matter how impressive and exciting the signs may be never shall we be convinced nor shall you be able to bring us to acknowledge the truth of your mission

[133] And there, We plagued them at intervals with

[134] As often as they were troubled grievously, they appealed to Mussa, to invoke Allah. His creator", they said, "in virtue of what He conferred on you of sufficient grace, to deliver us from this burdensome affliction which is exhaustive to the mind, and if you do we promise to acknowledge the truth of your mission and release the Children of Israel from bondage so that they be free to go with you

[135] Whenever We removed the cause of distress for a determined period of time to give them a chance to bring themselves to their senses, they promised Mussa they would pay heed. But no sooner they recovered than they broke their moral obligation, as if to confess themselves mistaken was opposed to their sense of personal dignity

[136] In consequence, We took just vengeance on them and drowned them in the sea in requital of their denial of Our signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority and their oblivion thereto

[137] And by divine grant did We bring those oppressed, into possession of the eastern and western parts of the land We had blessed*, and thus has the good word of Allah, your Creator, answered the purpose, and complied with the conditions of Bani Israel for their patience and endurance. And We ruined and buried all that Pharaoh and his people had erected of splendid structures and all that they laid as means or support

[138] And We brought Bani Israel safely across the sea, and there, they came across a people who paid divine honours to idols**. They demanded of Mussa to make for them an idol as an object of worship similar to the idols worshipped by those people. In response, said Mussa: "You people are indeed ignorant and you are a wicked impudent boldfaced people who have no shame of their sins

[139] These people", he said, "worship dumb idols made of stone subject to min. And vain is he who puts his hope in an object of worship besides Allah

[140] Would I", he added, "induce you to pay reverence and veneration to a deity other than Allah, the Creator, and adore him (or it) with appropriate acts and rites, when it was He Who confined to you such prerogative as to be the chosen for His mercy and blessings out of all people

[141] And through His Omnipotence and Authority, We delivered you from the state of bondage and from the cruel impositions laid upon you by the Pharaonic who brutally slaughtered your sons and spared your women, and this was indeed a severe but a sure test of your actions and reactions echoing your true beliefs and the prevalent inclination among you

[142] Then We ordained the divine assignation for Mussa and arranged the place and the time when We would be exposed to his mental view after he had completed the exclusive religious devotion imposed on him for thirty nights complemented by ten more nights to total forty nights, the requisite for granting him an audience. And when the set time was fulfilled and Mussa was ready to have spiritual audience of Allah, his Creator, he said to his brother Harun: "Take my place and act for me among my people and improve the state of things and put an end to abuse, disorder and malpractice and do not yield to those who are characterized by acts of prepensed malice

[143] When Mussa came to the place set for Our assignation, the hallowed environment spoke Allah's presence proclaimed by sound. And when Allah spoke to Mussa, he expressed his wish, thus: "O Allah, my Creator", he asked, "may I perceive you by sight!". "You shall not be able to see Me", said Allah, "but look at the mountain", if it remains standing in its place, you shall then see Me. And when Allah manifested to the mountain an infinitely short flash of His mercifully invisible glorious light, the mountain was levelled with the ground*. Terribly shocked, Mussa dropped unconscious, and when he recovered from the swoon, he prayed: "Praise be to You O Allah and extolled are Your glorious attributes; in lowliest plight do I stand repentant and I am the first and foremost of those who conform to Your will

[144] I have chosen you O Mussa", said Allah, "by preference out of all people to convey My divide message and My discourse of practical divinity revealed directly to you". "Therefore, take all that I have imparted to you with heart and hand with heart and soul, and act strongly upon it and impel yourself to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness

[145] We set down for him in writing on the plates all that bore reference to every subject, affair, event, circumstance, concern, contention, dispute, litigation and the like, distinctly expressing all that was meant, leaving nothing merely implied. And We commanded him to act strongly upon all that was imparted to him and to enjoin his people to adopt those divine precepts that would be in their best interests. And We added: "I will show your people the destined desolate abode and the destined insecure condition of those who grew daily more and more wicked

[146] I will", said Allah, "deafen the hearts' ears of those whose pride gets the better of their prudence, who exhibit unjustifiable inordinate self-esteem in the world they live on". Whenever they see a sign clearly indicating Allah's Authority, they take pride in setting it to nought, and when they see the path of righteousness, they simply avoid it, but when they see the path of wickedness, they joyfully follow it, this turn of mind accords well with their persistent denial of Our signs they have been oblivious of

[147] And those who refuse to recognize Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority and reject the truth of Resurrection and the audience of Allah in Day of Judgement are born to be losers; their hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness. Shall they be requited but with what is commensurate with their deeds

[148] Influenced by idolatrous Egypt, the people of Mussa took advantage of his absence on the Mount, being absorbed in the intense spiritual communion with Allah, and melted all their gold ornaments and built a body in the image of a calf* lowing like cattle when down wind. Did they not perceive that it was mute! Never did it speak to them nor would it guide them or determine the course of events! Yet they reverenced it and adored it with appropriate acts and rites, and were wrongful of actions

[149] When they realized that they had committed themselves to an evil line of conduct and have wandered from the path of righteousness they said: " Now, unless Allah, our Creator extends His mercy to us and forgives us, we will most certainly be great losers

[150] And when Mussa returned and found that his people have wronged themselves, he strongly resented their evil act, and so great was his indignation against them. Grieved at heart, he said: "Evil indeed is what your minds and souls have you to do; did you wish Allah's punishment be hastened on! He dropped the plates and dragged his brother by the head, laying the blame on him, But Harun said to him: " O son of my mother; the people judged me wanting in power and authority over them and almost killed me". "Therefore, do not let my enemies gloat over me and rejoice at my misfortune, nor should you associate me with the wrongful of actions

[151] Mussa then realized his unjustified assault upon his brother and turned to Allah invoking His forgiveness on behalf of himself and his brother, and added: "O Allah, our Creator, we pray and beseech You to admit us into the realm of Your mercy

[152] Indeed those who reverenced the calf and adored it with appropriate acts and rites shall come within the measure of Allah's wrath and shall be incensed with humiliation in life below, for thus do We requite those who intentionally assert what is false

[153] But those who commit themselves to an evil line of conduct and soon thereafter stand repentant in lowliest plight and return to the obedience of Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues shall find Allah Ghafurun (forgiving), and Rahimun (Merciful)

[154] When Mussa returned to his settled calmness, he picked up the plates comprising in their text the spirit of truth guiding into all truth, and Allah's mercy toward those who fear testing Allah's indignation

[155] There, did Mussa choose from the innocent among his people seventy persons, in compliance with Allah's command to present themselves at the divine assignation. When they gathered at the arranged time and place, fearful echoes thundered in their ears and the earth's surface convulsed under their feet as an expression of strong divine reproach against those among them who committed themselves to the most evil conduct. There and then did Mussa pray, thus: "O Allah, my Creator: had You willed you would have planted their Hereafter and mine before now". "Would you destroy us in requital of the evil committed by the simpleton among us!". " It is Your means of trial, You use it to subject people to the test and consequently deafen the hearts' ears of whom You will and open the minds' eyes of whom You will, You are our Tutelary Protector". "We beseech you to forgive us and to have mercy on us; You are the Most Merciful of all who forgive

[156] He added: "We pray and beseech You to bestow on us Your prevenient and efficacious grace here, and Your efficacious grace Hereafter; we have surrendered ourselves to You and our purpose and cause to Your divine service". "My punishment", said Allah, "is a penalty I inflict on whom I will, and My mercy is extended to the wide circle of the all; I will accord it to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Me. It is those who give alms and give credence to Our revelations and signs, with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[157] Who acknowledge the mission of Our Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find well described in their AL-Tawrah (Torah) and AL-Injil (Gospel). Who enjoins them equity and the general principles of justice and forbids them all that is wrongful and obscene; He informs them of all that Allah has rendered lawful for them to eat and of all that is unlawful. He shall release them from the rules fettering them and from the restrictions imposed upon them, and release their minds from what had burdened them of anxious thoughts. Therefore, those who recognize his mission; give credence to his message, honour him, afford him the help he needs and act in accordance with the spiritual and intellectual enlightenment imparted to him, shall be the recipients of Allah's mercy and blessings and it is these whom Heaven shall prosper

[158] Say to them O Muhammad: O you people: you had better believe that I have been sent to you all with a divine message from Allah Who has the rightful claim to the heavens and the earth. Allah Who has the supreme controlling power and the absolute authority over them; there is no Ilah but Him Who gives life and occasions death. Therefore, you people had better believe in Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, and accept with consenting mind His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who solemnly believes in Allah and His divine words -those inspired to him and to other Messengers before him-. You had better give credence; to his statement and discourse on practical divinity and follow him so that you may hopefully be guided to the path of righteousness

[159] Among the People of Mussa are some who used the spirit of truth to guide people into all truth and used it to implement the general principles of justice

[160] And We separated them into twelve divisions, nations as it were, - characterized by common descent from one of the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jaco)

[161] We said to them "You make abode in this town* and eat as you will, wherever you will. It is all replete with choice of all delights. Enjoy all that is wholesome and affords pleasure, but let your bosoms surge up and answer thanks and express your thoughts in words invoking Me to relieve your hearts and unload your burden of sins", "Humble yourselves and bow your knees to Me as you go through the gate ", "then and only then will I forgive your iniquities and reward those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety with what runs higher than what corresponds with their piety

[162] But the wrongful of actions exchanged the virtuous spoken discourse authorized by heaven for the false discourse of their own making, and in consequence did Heaven come upon them with a forcible impact of a torturing punishment in requital of their wickedness

[163] Ask them about the town which stood by the see-front* where their minds and souls impelled them to transgress Allah's commandment and break the Sabbath ordained by Allah to be set apart for rest and worship. The fish were made to come to the surface on the Sabbath day, and to dive deep on other days; a means of trial to test their prevalent inclination. As was expected, being wicked, they yielded to temptation

[164] Those indifferent among the people of Mussa, said to those concerned: "why waste your breath admonishing people destined to suffer annihilation or condemnation!". "This said the concerned, "is only to discharge the duty imposed by Allah, your Creator, toward these people, they might hope fully open their hearts' ears and be dutiful to Him

[165] But when they counselled deaf to exhortation, We rescued those who urged them to laudable conduct and to doing homage and honour to Almighty Allah, and We put to the torment of misery and distress those wrongful of actions in requital of their prepensed malice

[166] When they insolently persisted in disobedience and buried exhortation in oblivion, We laid their transgression to their charge and decreed that they be monkeyfied and that their monkey- like character and behaviour be viewed with contempt, and that they be despised and rejected of men

[167] There and then did Allah, your Creator, proclaim He would send against them those who would persecute them till the Day of Resurrection. Allah, your Creator, is swift indeed in putting the law in execution, and He is also Ghafurun and Rahimun

[168] And We split them into separate aggregates forming communities among the populations of the various countries of the world; Among them are those who are virtuous, who instruct men in the way of righteous living, and others who are contrary in nature, in character and in tendency, who flourish on wickedness. We have tried them with interchange of favours and efficacious grace and with disfavors, misfortunes and disgrace that they may hopefully be dutiful to Allah

[169] Then, there came their successors on whom the weight of AL-Tawrah had devolved and the responsibility of subscribing to its precept had fallen. Yet they chose to go by the world and its vanities, and unmerited forgiveness haunted their imagination; They said: "We will be forgiven our iniquities", and in vanity they wasted their days. Every opportunity favourable to a wicked end or purpose gave them occasion to a burst of merriment. Do they not recall to the mind that they did subscribe to the covenant Allah had revealed in AL-Tawrah which they have carefully studied; the covenant forbidding them to relate to Allah but the truth and emphasizing that the Hereafter is infinitely far better and more advantageous to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah. Can you - people- not reflect

[170] Nonetheless, those who adhere to AL-Tawrah and abide by it and observe their act of worship shall be recipients of Allah's mercy and blessings; We do not withhold nor withdraw the grateful return due to those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[171] And you Ahl AL-Kitab had better recall to the mind that once when your fathers camped at the foot of the Mount and heaven thundered and the awe - inspiring echoes thundered in their ears as We entered with them into a covenant, and We stabilized the Mount above them when it shook with such fits of awe for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and they thought it was collapsing over their heads. There and then did We say to them: " Adhere to all We have imparted to you -AL-Tawrah- and observe the code of discipline and body of regulations and hold them in esteem and hold to your promise and pay attention and regard to it and be mindful of Our commandments, you may hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Me

[172] Allah your Creator brings forth the progeny of the Children of Adam from their backs. Symbolized by a figure in human form so as to be witnesses of their own reaction to Allah, they were asked: "Am I not your Creator!" "Indeed You are", they answered. "Then", Allah said, "You cannot deny this in Day of Judgment with the excuse that you were not aware of this fact

[173] Or you might say: "Our fathers had incorporated with Allah other deities, and as their descendents, they have had much influence on our thoughts; will You O Allah subject us to the torment to pay a debt owed to You by the damned

[174] Thus do We expound Our revelations and render Our discourse readily understood so that they may hopefully he dutiful to Allah

[175] And narrate to the Jews O Muhammad the story of the Israelite to whom We imparted intellectual acquaintance with all the facts and We vested him with the power of comprehending Our signs. Yet he blinded his mind's eyes and refrained from proceeding with Our purpose. By consequence, We sent him to the Devil who had led him by the nose to the maze of error

[176] Had We willed We Would have opened his heart's ears and influenced him with the divine course of action, and thereby exalted his best faculties to the highest spiritual honours. But he chose to direct his intellect earthward, indulge in vanities and remain low. And there, he stood similitude exact of the dog which lolls his tongue whether you drive him away or you let him alone. This is exactly the similitude of those who deny Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority. Therefore, recourse O Muhammad to the narratives of such persons so that they may hopefully pause to think

[177] Evil indeed is the similitude of those who denied Our signs and refused to recognize Our revelations and were unreasonable and unjust to themselves

[178] Indeed he whom Allah guides to His path of righteousness is he who is guided by the spirit of truth into all truth, and those whom Allah does not guide to his path of righteousness are they who are born to be losers

[179] We have disposed to the abode in Hell many of the Jinn and mankind whom We had foreknown to be losers; they carry hearts stigmatized with dullness of comprehension and eyes lacking perception and they have no ears for admonition. These are they standing similitude exact of cattle, in fact even worse, and these are the heedless of all truth

[180] To Allah belong all the Commendable attributes you people may use when invoking Him under any circumstance, and disregard those who use them profanely. They shall be requited with what is commensurate with their profanity

[181] Among those whom We have brought into being, a people who seek unto Allah: they guide others into all truth which they interpret in thoughts and in deeds and in implementing the general principles of justice

[182] And those who denied Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority, shall cast themselves headlong to Hell. We shall give them plenty of rope to allow them free scope, so that unawares to themselves, they shall commit themselves to evil

[183] I give them respite and delay My action, but My scheme of action is decisive, conclusive, strict and unfailing; it strikes at the root

[184] Do the infidels not pause to think of their fellow - citizen and countryman* and his disposition, and weigh the matter mentally, give it due weight, and honestly admit that he is not possessed by an evil spirit nor is there a demoniac element in him. He is but a spectacle and a warning who stands manifest of moral and spiritual sublimity

[185] Do they not see into the immensity of the universe and look with their minds' eyes at the realms of the heavens and the earth and the precision with which structures are related and at the unique government of all that He has created! Do they not ponder that the end of their term of life may well be approaching! Therefore, if they refuse to acknowledge the truth as is featured in these signs, what then will convince them if these signs and this divine discourse do not

[186] He whom Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness shall find no one to guide him thereto. He gives him and such person plenty of rope to allow them free scope and action in order to commit themselves to the loss in the maze of error

[187] The infidels insolently call upon you O Muhammad for information relative to the point of time at which the predetermined Eventful Hour of Judgment takes place! Say to them: " it is only Allah alone Who knows when, He alone has the rightful claim to the knowledge of the how and when of here and Hereafter; no one reveals it when due but Him as His word prompts". "It weighs quite heavily on the heavens and all those within and on the earth and the hopes of all those therein, and the encounter with it is simply a sudden start of a surprise". They ask you about it as if you are anxious to know the how and when and as a result you have been informed. Say to them: " Rest assured that it is only Allah alone Who does know when, but most people do not realize this fact

[188] Say to them O Muhammad: "I have no control over what will become nor of what will befall me, be it good or bad but as Allah wills. He is the Principle Power by Whom events are unalterably predetermined". "If I indulged in prophecy and were able to foretell future events and realize the unseen I would have made all grace abound in me, and never would I have failed to be out of harm's way". "I am only a spectacle and a warning to people whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[189] He is it Who brought you into being from one single soul -Adam- and from him, by a special creation, did He evolve his mate in whom he seeks consolation and finds comfort. And when he -the early man- approached her with amorous intention, she conceived and the pregnancy passed unnoticed in its early stages. But as the ovum became an embryo and the embryo developed into a foetus which grew larger and the mother grew heavier, the parents invoked the deity's mercy and blessings interpreting their thoughts in words "If You ", they said, "give us a healthy child free from abnormalities and malformations, we will most certainly be grateful

[190] And when Allah Himself did, they ascribed to Him other deities, with whom they incorporated. Glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes. He is infinitely far beyond all those they incorporate with Him

[191] Is it befitting that they incorporate with Him any created being, animate or Inanimate, who is infinitely incapable of creating a living being nor one. Of the simple Constituents of which all material bodies are compounded, when all in all has Allah brought into being and caused to exist

[192] Nor can these objects of worship afford them help or help themselves

[193] And if you idolaters invoke them to offer you counsel they shall not respond whether your invocatory prayer is expressed in words or in thought

[194] You had better realize, O you people that those whom you invoke besides Allah are created beings like yourselves; therefore, invoke them and see if they respond if you truly believe that you are declaring the truth

[195] Do they have feet to go or hands to hold, or do they have eyes to see or ears to hear; they have neither the special faculties to perceive external objects nor the faculties of mind or soul, understanding or intelligence as bearing on action, behaviour or judgement. Say to them O Muhammad: "Call on your predominant partners who have authority over you besides Allah and let them devise their plan of unfavourable action against me and conduct it to conclusion, and give me no respite

[196] My tutelary guardian is Allah Who has revealed the Book, the Quran, the fountain-head of divine knowledge, wisdom and justice. He is the tutelary Protector of those whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety

[197] Whereas those whom you invoke besides Him shall fail forever to afford you help or help themselves

[198] And if you should invoke them to offer you counsel they cannot hear you, and you can see their artificial eyes staring vacantly at you, unable to see

[199] Be indulgent O Muhammad and favour forbearance anti relaxation of restraint, and make due allowances and enjoin conformity of life and conduct to the requirements of morality disregarding the impudent who are insolently disrespectful

[200] And if AL-Shaytan entices you by suggesting divergence or discord secretly to your mind, do not consent nor be actuated, but commit yourself to Allah counter to the evil he instigated. Allah is indeed Sami'un (Omnipresent) with unlimited audition, and 'Alimun (Omniscient)

[201] Those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, always bear Allah in mind to the extent that if and when a satanic touch of evil is suggested secretly to their minds, they immediately bring religion into touch with conduct and lift to Allah their inward sight

[202] Yet the satanic among the Jinn and mankind keep driving divergence by dint of repetition into the infidels' heads and simply lead the way

[203] And if you do not present them with a supernatural act to satisfy their desire, they wish you would go in quest of it. Say to them: I only follow what is revealed to me by spiritual influence from Allah, my Creator; this is the Quran, the true illumination and enlightenment. It is revealed by Allah, your Creator, to open your mind's eyes and guide those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand into all truth and to confer on them Allah's mercy and blessings

[204] O you people who have conformed to Islam: When the Quran is recited, bow down your ears and listen graciously and attentively to it so that you may hopefully be recipients of Allah's mercy

[205] And bear Allah, your Creator, in your inmost thoughts and secret feelings so that the principle of thought and action, the soul, exercises devotional contemplation with humbleness and profound reverence and with bated breath at the beginning and the end of the day. Let not your innermost being be unmindful of Allah

[206] Indeed, those in heaven's realm who are in the August presence of Allah, your Creator, are not too proud to adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; they praise Him and extoll His glorious attributes and prostrate themselves to Him in veneration

[1] They ask you O Muhammad about the spoils of war what to do with them, to whom do they belong and how are they going to be divided among the victors! Say to them: "They belong to Allah and His cause and to the Messenger who administers Allah's affairs according to divine instructions. The main thing is that you people entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and to stand firm to Allah's principles and purpose, to concert all matters in difference and to obey Allah and His Messenger if indeed your hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[2] Those whose innermost thoughts and secret feelings are indeed purposed to serve Allah are they whose innermost being is inspired with reverential wonder combined with latent fear at the thought of Allah. When His revelations are recited to them, their force of reason becomes stronger and more powerful and in Allah they trust

[3] It is they who faithfully observe their act of worship and spend in divine service of what Allah has apportioned to them of His bounty

[4] These are the true believers whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues; they are classified according to grades of rank and quality, grades of honour commensurate with their deeds in addition to forgiveness and gracefully blessed provisions

[5] The spoils of war precipitated diversity of opinion, exactly as did your contemplated expedition when Allah, your Creator, induced you O Muhammad to leave your home on a mission of truth authorizing war of belief against disbelief . Some of those who conformed to Islam did not have fighting in their minds and were hesitant to join battle, declaring their aversion

[6] Contending with you with opposing arguments after it had been made clear to them that victory would sit on their helm. Yet they behaved as if they would be driven to death being shaped to them in their minds' eyes as a monstrous apparition

[7] Allah has promised you victory over one of the two organized parties. Some of your people chose to seize the unarmed caravan for easy gains, whereas Allah has willed that you go at the organized well armed troops which came to their aid, so that truth should triumph over falsehood and His words be verified as He uproots the infidels

[8] And as such, shall Allah vindicate the truth and blot out falsehood, offensive as it may be to those sinful idolaters

[9] You implored Allah's aid with touching entreaties and Allah responded favourably, thus: "I will", He said: "uphold you with one thousand angels in sets succeeding one another

[10] We voiced this spiritual support to give you people mental comfort and joyful tidings and make your hearts return to their settled calmness, Indeed, victory comes only by the help of Allah Who is AL-Aziz (the Almighty), and Hakimun (Wise)

[11] And there did Allah replace the emotion of sorrow and grief which was caused by fear of the unpredictable outcome by peace of mind and sense of security thus inducing your eyes to take themselves to slumber. He sent down from the floor of the vault of heaven rain - water to free you people from foreign matter as well as from moral and spiritual pollution and from the incitement of evil instigated by AL-Shaytan (Satan) and by those with characteristics befitting Him, and to do your hearts good and set your feet firm

[12] There and then did Allah, your Creator, inspire the angels. Thus: " I am acting with you", Allah said: "and so support the cause of those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and sustain them spiritually and help them take a firm position and set their feet firm". "I will inspire terror", Allah added, "in the hearts of those who are given to disbelief; strike them above the necks and strike their finger tips, their weak limbs and their failing joints

[13] This train of events succeeding one another were occasioned on account of their hostility to Allah and to His Messenger; and he who is hostile to Allah and His Messenger shall realize that Allah punishes severely indeed

[14] This is it you infidels, but that is not all; there awaits you the torment to be laid on the damned

[15] O you who have conformed to Islam: "If you happen to meet with the infidels -the enemy to your faith- and you see they are marshaled for fighting you, do not turn your backs upon them nor reverse your course or retreat

[16] And he who turns his back, reverses his course or retreats, unless it be a stratagem for gaining advantage over the enemy or for falling back on other troops projected and directed as the larger military movement and operation of the campaign, will have come within the measure of Allah's wrath and be destined to the abode in Hell, and how evil is the destination

[17] You people must realize that it was not you who brought death upon the infidels but it was Allah Who destroyed them. It was not you O Muhammad who aimed when you spattered, but it was Allah Who directed the sand you hurled at your enemy. Nor was it you who deprived them of power when you threw the handful of sand at their faces, but it was Allah Who eclipsed their sight. Nonetheless, Allah has determined to test the quality of those who have conformed to Islam with gracious intentions; on the one hand with His prevenient grace producing the repentance and faith without which the grace of justification cannot be received and on the other hand with the efficacious grace really effecting the end for which it is given; Allah is indeed Sami'un (Omnipresent) with unlimited audition and 'Alimun (Omniscient)

[18] And so, this is it. Meantime Allah defies the infidels; He suspends their volition and renders their stratagem inefficient

[19] And you infidels, if you were looking for victory and judgement; your hopes have been doomed to disappointment; the Ka'ba belongs to those who have conformed to Islam. And if you exercise your faculty of volition toward peaceful existence and desist from the hostile course of action and your prudence gets the better of your pride, it would be to your advantage. But if your pride gets the better of your prudence and you resume hostilities, then the two sides shall inevitably meet again. And your troops, multitudinous as they will be, shall be of no advantage to you, for Allah upholds those whose hearts are faithful to Him

[20] O you who have conformed to Islam: Obey Allah and His Messenger and never withdraw from his presence when you are listening to his discourse on practical divinity

[21] Nor permit yourselves to be like those -the hypocrites- who pretended to have listened faithfully to the truth and pretended to abide by it when in fact they counselled deaf and closed their hearts' ears to discourses on practical divinity; there is speed in their dumbness

[22] Indeed, the worst creatures in Allah's sight are the deaf and dumb who are unwilling to hear nor heed

[23] Had Allah found in them any good He would have opened their hearts' ears and their minds' eyes and made their prudence get the better of their pride. And if He did, they would have turned away and counselled deaf to the spirit of truth that guides into all truth

[24] O you who have conformed to Islam: Respond favourably to Allah's commands and to the admonition by His Messenger when he invites you to lead a life that deserves the name, a life that is based on clean hearts and on divine knowledge and on denunciation of evil and ignorance and superstitions of later times. A life that is based on the faculty or sum of faculties of the mind or the soul by which one knows and reasons and exercises the power of thought and understanding. Life based on freedom from idolatry to the inanimate and the animate and on worshipping and obeying the One and Only -the Creator of the universe- Who gives life and occasions death. A life that is based on the quality of mind showing itself in facing danger without fear and based on kindness, compassion, benevolence and on religious and spiritual virtues. A life that is productive and fulfilling the normal purpose, so that it be meaningful, honourable and worth living. And you people had better realize that Allah intervenes between man and his heart to love or hate, to open its ears or counsel deaf, to be courageous or wanting courage, to be kind, or hard, to beat or fail and stop, and to Him shall all of you be thronged

[25] And avoid dissension, temptation and discord which may be brewed by some and practiced by others. The fatal consequence does not fall only on the wrongful but it unites all of you, and you must realize that Allah punishes severely

[26] Remember, you were some few viewed with contempt, living in fear of persecution, abduction and exile, and Allah put you under His tutelage, gave you shelter and made you strong in influence and authority and gave you security of position and reinforced you by His additional support and made victory sit on your helm. He provided you with victuals of the various good and wholesome kinds hoping you would impel yourselves to gratitude and gratefulness

[27] O you who have conformed to Islam : Do not prove false to the trust nor to Allah and His Messenger Who trusted you nor knowingly misappropriate anything that has been entrusted to you

[28] And you must realize that your wealth and your progeny are but a temptation and a means of trial to test your spiritual and moral attributes, your accomplishments and attainments as well as your course of actions. Do not forget that in Allah's realm you obtain the ultimate of your desires

[29] O you who have conformed to Islam: If you entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, He will confer on your souls the faculty of knowing and reasoning, of thought and understanding, so that you can perceive the difference between right and wrong, have the capacity to discriminate one individual from another and constitute a difference between the powers of good and evil to the end that He blots out your iniquities. He is the source of sufficient grace abounding in whom He will and of efficacious grace which really effects the end for which it is given

[30] And remember O Muhammad how the infidels, with cleverness in circumventing, had recourse to stratagem tending to take you as prisoners and keep you in bondage or kill you, and in His plan did Allah also have recourse to stratagem, and who can gain advantage on Allah

[31] When Our revelations are recited to them. They insolently say: "We have heard, and the like of this we heard before, and if we will we could discourse the like thereof. This is nothing but fables of old

[32] And remember O Muhammad when their pride and insolence got the better of their prudence and they said: O Allah, "if this is a divine discourse revealed from Your heaven's realm, then pour down upon us from the floor of the vault of heaven a rain of stones or a rain of large blows

[33] But Allah was not going to rain on them large blows while you are in their midst, nor was He going to put them to the torment before giving them plenty of rope to allow them free scope so that they either commit themselves and deserve annihilation or be sober minded, stand repentant and invoke Allah's forgiveness

[34] What excuse can they offer now to justify their wrongful deeds and bar prosecution! Therefore there is no reason why Allah should make them suffer for their offense. They have abused the act of grace and fallen from grace. They malevolently obstructed the way to the Sacrosanct House when they are not its guardians. Its guardians are those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah but most of these do not realize this fact

[35] Their prayer at the Sacrosanct House was simply featured in whistling and applause. Therefore, you infidels have well deserved to be put to the torment in requital of infidelity

[36] These infidels spend their money in the warring campaigns of disbelief against belief with the motive principle of obstructing the way to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness. They shall spend until they exhaust themselves and suffer losses, and then lament the events and circumstances with sighing. Then shall reason conquer passion and they lose the field and be subdued, and all infidels shall be thronged into Hell

[37] Such an amount of money spent in the war of disbelief against belief brings the two opposing sides into contact. There and then does Allah distinguish those who prevail upon themselves to serve Him and expose those who perform half - heartedly and those croakers who are always boding their ruin, He sums up the evidence of all evil and adds it together and casts all who have an evil savour in their composition into Hell; these are they who were born to be losers

[38] Tell O Muhammad these infidels: if they are willing to renounce infidelity, desist from evil purpose and turn to Allah, they will be forgiven their past iniquities. But should they resume hostilities and persist in their intentional assertion of falsehood, then suffice it to say that Allah's mode of action pursued in the past for each typical instance of punishment shah not alter

[39] So conditioned, then, fight against them the good fight of faith until persecution comes to an end and concord replaces discord and Allah's system of faith and worship prevails, and people take upon themselves: The recognition of Allah and His control of destiny, His rightful claim to obedience, reverence and worship, and the general mental and moral attitude resulting from this belief and its effect upon the individual and the people at large. If they desist and turn to Allah, He certainly is Bassirun(graceful and kind to his servants), He sees all that they do

[40] But if they refuse and counsel deaf, then you Muslims must realize that Allah is your tutelary Guardian and how Ultimate in excellence is the Protector, and the Ultimate of ultimate to afford help

[41] And you Muslims must realize that whatever you capture from your enemy in the way of spoils of war, comes under Allah's Authority. One fifth is assigned to Allah and His Messenger, to the kindred and to the orphans and the needy, that is if the heart of your purpose is indeed Allah's purpose and you have exercised your minds in thought and contemplation conferred on Our Messenger and on your souls to vindicate the powers of good and beat down the powers of evil when the two forces met, and Allah is Qadirun over all things; He overrules personal aims

[42] You were on the near side of the valley and the infidels on the far side, and the caravan below you marching by; a web of circumstance calculated and timely arranged by the Omnipotent. Had you tried to plan such a precise arrangement you would have failed. Allah had planned it in such a manner as to serve His purpose and to help you obtain an advantage over your enemy who outnumbered you to a great disproportion, the survivors among the infidels will then realize that their defeat was made by Allah's Omnipotence and Authority and the survivors among the Muslim victors realize Allah's Omnipotence and Sovereignty and Allah is indeed Sami'un with unlimited audition and 'Alimun

[43] Allah O Muhammad -in His infinite mercy has presented to your mind in your sleep the troops of the infidels as being some few- at the psychologically appropriate moment in which your minds were in actual expectation of war to happen. Had He presented them to you in your vision as being multitudinous you would have been smitten with mental anguish and dismay and you would have fallen into dispute, but Allah saved the situation; He is 'Alimun of all that is brewed secretly in the breasts

[44] When the two forces met, We influenced your minds' eyes so as you view them as being some few, and you would be viewed as being some few, so that you assail each other, and Allah's purpose would be served as has been enacted, and to Allah, the Ultimate Authority are committed and submitted all matters and all affairs for consideration, decision and execution here and Hereafter

[45] O you who have conformed to Islam: When you come upon an encounter with a troop of your enemies; do-not waver, but be resolute and firm, and think of Allah and call Him to mind as often as you can so that Heaven may help you gain the upper hand

[46] Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not contend with each other with opposing arguments lest your hopes should be doomed to disappointment and you lose heart, and the wind be taken out of your sails. Have patience and remember that Allah upholds the patient

[47] And be not like those* who left their homes -for battle- displaying deliberately and ostentatiously their might in order to, attract notice, win admiration and warn others; they aimed at obstructing the way to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness, but Allah is Omniscient of all that they do

[48] They were befooled by AL-Shaytan and those with characteristics befitting him who allured them to brighter worlds as a logical result and sequence to their doings and led the way. "Rest assured ", AL-Shaytan said, " that no man can overpower you today in battle and I will be by your side". But when the two forces met** he turned on his heels and reversed his position declaring his innocence of their ills, and said: "I see with my mind's eyes what you cannot see; I fear Allah Whose torment is laid upon the damned

[49] There and then said those in whose hearts reigned vice, the hypocrites and those with ill-natured hearts- thus: "How foolish the Muslims are to challenge such a large force; they are befooled by their religion which induced them to attack a great and superior force!". But he who puts his trust in Allah, shall find Allah 'Azizun and Hakimun

[50] If you could only see the infidels when the angels of death besiege them all about to disembody their souls, how they descend violently upon them striking their faces and their backs, and say to them: " Now you shall taste the torment of the Fire laid upon the damned

[51] This is in the train of the evil deeds your wrongful and unclean have committed, and Allah is not unjust to His servants

[52] These peoples' disposition and attitude of mind do not differ from those of the Pharaoh and his people and their predecessors; they denied Allah and rejected His signs and revelations; so great was Allah's indignation against them for their wickedness that He took them by storm. Allah is indeed Qawiyun (Omnipotent); His torment is laid upon the damned

[53] This reasoning is based on Allah's justified course of action adopted as an expedient. He never withdraws nor changes His merited or unmerited favour He graced a given nation with until they change their own minds' attitude and the disposition of their innermost being, Allah is indeed Sami'un (with unlimited audition), and 'Alimun

[54] A reasoning marked by circumspection: it is attentive to all circumstances that may affect action, circumstances that are similar to those of the Pharaoh and his people and their predecessors who were united in their innate quality. They abused Allah's grace and by consequence fell from grace; they denied Allah's signs and revelations and persisted in their intentional assertion of falsehood. As a result, We destroyed them in requital of their willful violation of the divine law and their transgression against Allah and His commands. We drowned Pharaoh and his People; they were all wrongful of actions

[55] Indeed, the worst creatures in Allah's sight are those whose hearts' ears are closed and whose minds' eyes are blind, who counsel deaf to divine discourse and disavow Allah

[56] Who concluded with you O Muhammad a truce and resolved to cause a discord to pass into a concord, yet they break every agreement contracted for amity and peace, and never do they entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[57] Therefore, whenever and wherever you Muslims meet them in an active hostile contention, reduce them into a useless form to set an example of their humiliation serving as a deterrent to those who attempt thereafter to war against you

[58] Should you suspect treachery on the part of a people with whom you have concluded a peace treaty, let them know that you have cancelled your vow just the same; Allah detests indeed the treacherous

[59] And those infidels who deny Allah must realize that they have not escaped His divine attributes of Prescience and Omniscience nor shall they deter Him from afflicting them with a retributive punishment

[60] And prepare for them you Muslims all you can recruit of strength: armed forces and mounted troops- to strike terror into the hearts and minds of Allah's enemy who is your enemy, and into the hearts and minds of others whom you do not know but Allah knows them. And remember that whatever you spend in divine service you shall be reimbursed and never shall you be wronged

[61] If they incline to reconcile themselves with their own hearts and with Allah and make peace, then be willing to incline thereto, and put your trust in Allah; He is AL-Sami' (Omnipresent) with unlimited audition, and AL-'Alim

[62] And if this happens to be an instance of deception and they mean to disappoint your expectation of peace, then good enough for you is Allah to count upon for support; He is it Who upheld your cause and crowned you with victory with His aid and with those who have conformed to Islam

[63] And it is He Who united their feeling and thought, their action and interest and their purpose, and caused their spiritual union with Allah. It is He Who made them reconcile themselves with their own hearts and with Allah. Had you spent all the available wealth on earth for this purpose, you would have failed to tune their hearts to one thought. But Allah brought this unison by tuning their frame of mind, their mood and their disposition; Allah is indeed Azizun and Hakimun

[64] O you the Prophet: Sufficient for you, and for those Muslims who fell into line with you, is Allah Who upholds your cause and helps you accomplish your divine purpose

[65] O you the Prophet: Urge the Muslims to action; twenty of you exercising patience and standing firm shall vanquish two hundred, and if there are a hundred of such a caliber, they shall defeat a thousand of the infidels who are fighting against the truth because they are characterized with dullness of comprehension

[66] Now that the powers of good have defeated the powers of evil and Allah, being aware of your poor physical strength, has commuted your obligation due to Him. If there are a hundred of you who exercise patience and stand firm, they shall vanquish two hundred, and if there are one thousand, they shall vanquish two thousand, Allah willing, Allah upholds the patient

[67] No Prophet is entitled to take prisoners of war under the circumstances when the infidels are doing their best to defy Allah's religion, until he has humbled the avowed enemies of faith and subdued the land at the peril of their lives. To take prisoners and ransom them at this stage means that you Muslims are concerned with the interests and pleasures of this life when Allah's concern is the Hereafter, and Allah is Azizun and Hakimun

[68] Had it not been for Allah's authoritative decree proclaimed beforehand to forgive a votary who inadvertently errs, you people would have been severely punished for what you have undertaken

[69] Therefore, you may enjoy what you have gained, in the way of spoils of war, it is a lawful gain, but fear Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[70] O you the Prophet, say to those of the captives upon your hands: If Allah finds in your hearts a zeal to promote the common good, we will compensate to you more than what you have lost and give up resentment against you and pardon your offense; Allah is Ghafurun (Forgiving), and Rahimun

[71] And if they intend to betray you and disappoint your expectations, they have betrayed Allah's cause before, but Allah gave you power to subdue them at their peril, and Allah is 'Alimun and Hakimun

[72] Those who conformed to Islam and emigrated to where they could best serve Allah and strove in His cause with their wealth and their lives, and those who gave them refuge and afforded them help, are joined one to the other in mutual intimacy. Those who conformed to Islam but due to social or business interests did not emigrate to where they could best serve Allah will be denied your tutelary protection until they have emigrated. But if they seek your aid against persecution directed against them by their people for holding Allah's religious system, then it is incumbent on you to help them, unless you happen to have concluded with their people a treaty of mutual alliance, Allah is Bassirun (Omnipresent) He sees all that you do

[73] These infidels who deny Allah are joined one to another in mutual intimacy and afford one another mutual help, and unless you Muslims do the same, then discord shall replace concord and the world shall be given to great mischief and perversion of integrity

[74] And those who conformed to Islam and emigrated to where they could best serve Allah, and strove in His cause with their wealth and their lives, as well as those who gave them refuge and afforded them help, are the recipients of Allah's blessings. These are indeed the faithful who are conscientious in the fulfillment of their duty to Allah, they shall be graced with forgiveness and blessed provisions

[75] And those who have since conformed to Islam and emigrated at a later date and fought in the cause of Allah by your side, constitute an integral part of you and enjoy the same rights. Now that the stability of the faith has been ensured then those who are related by blood do have prior rights toward each other as is decreed in the archetypal Book of Allah; Allah is indeed 'Alimun of the whole and of all in all

[1] Allah and His Messenger declare explicitly that the obligation made between you Muslims and the idolaters who break their vows is, as of today, rendered void

[2] Nonetheless, you infidels, worshippers of idols, may move freely in the land, if you will, and as, you please. You will be well secured against all assaults for a period of four months. But you must realize that you shall not defeat Allah's purpose nor can you escape His sure watch. He is Omnipresent with unlimited audition, Omniscient of all those whose purpose is to defy His cause, He shall disgrace them and put to shame

[3] On the day of the great occasion of AL-Hajj (major pilgrimag)

[4] But exempt from this immediate liability, are those of the Pagans with whom you Muslims have concluded a peace treaty they have honoured and for the mean time refrained from helping others against you. It is incumbent on you to fulfill your obligation to them until they have reached the end of the term of security. Allah likes those who obey Him and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[5] When the four Sacred Months of grace have expired, then kill the vicious idolaters wherever you find them, seize them besiege them and lie down for them in ambush everywhere. But should they repent, engage in the act of worship and give Zakat (alms), then leave them alone; Allah is Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun (Merciful)

[6] If anyone of the Pagans seeks your protection O Muhammad, then protect him and grant him asylum; he may open his heart's ears to Allah's discourse. Escort him to where he will be out of harm's way. They are people deficient in sense and intelligence; they are simpletons

[7] You must realize O Muslims that these treacherous Pagans place before themselves one thing to be attained, that is to divert your minds from righteousness and uprightness and suppress Allah's system of faith. Therefore, how could they honour their vow or treaty with Allah and with His Messenger; they only conclude with you a treaty as a stratagem to obtain an advantage. Yet you must honour your obligation to those of them with whom you concluded a treaty at the Sacrosanct Mosque. As long as they honour their part you will have to honour yours. Allah likes those who obey Him and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[8] So conditioned, how can these Pagans impel themselves to the sense of feelings and good disposition toward you people when they entertain evil thoughts of you! If they get an advantage over you and prevail against you they shall reduce you to a useless form disregarding totally the ties of kinship as well as their obligations. They put in words the sweet discourse which gratifies you while their hearts bode ill, and most of them are indeed wicked

[9] These people have exchanged the truth of Allah's revelations and His Messenger's mission for the vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world and obstructed the way to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness. Evil indeed is what their minds and their souls have impelled them to do

[10] If they get an advantage over a Muslim and prevail against him, they shall injure him, disregarding totally their ties of kinship and their obligations. Their disposition reflects their transgressive infirmities. They prevail themselves of what the occasion gives

[11] If they in lowliest plight repentant stood performed regular prayer and imprinted their deeds with wisdom and piety and gave Zakat, then they are your Co-religionists and an integral part of your brotherhood. We expound Our revelations and render Our discourse readily understood to people who reflect

[12] But should they infringe their oaths after they have pledged their vows to you, and assailed your religion with opprobrious or abusive language, then you must battle against the ring-leaders of bigotry whose professed system of faith is featured in idolatry and infidelity, for then they will have proved themselves of a faithless disposition, false to the vows. They may with such calculated punishment desist, for their own sake, from their hostile course of action

[13] These Pagans were they who almost always broke their vows and disregarded their treaties, they purposed to oust the Messenger from Macca and plotted to turn him out of Madina and they were the aggressors following the covenant into which both of you entered*. Therefore, would you not take these matters of fact as have been narrated to you and circumstance them after the right manner or do you fear them, when it is Allah whom you should fear if indeed you have conformed to His system of faith and worship

[14] Fight them the good fight of faith; Allah intends to make them suffer at your hands and put them to shame, and make fortune and victory sit on your helm. A victory intended to heal the ill confined in the bosoms of the faithful and pour balm into the festering wounds of their hearts and minds

[15] To free their hearts from inveterate anger and their uneasy minds from soreness, and to return them to their settled calm. Allah gives up resentment against whom He will and pardons his offence, He is 'Alimun (Omniscient), and Hakimun (Wis)

[16] Did you think O Muslims that you would be left untested and untampered or be left in peace before Allah has yet to see: that you have distinguished yourselves on every front or line of battle, that you have been distinguished as the valiant and the patient who are unwearied in the face of difficulties and undisturbed by good or ill fortune and that you have ground for sustaining your tutelage under no one besides Allah, His Messenger and your co-religionists; Allah is 'Alimun of all that you do

[17] It is never becoming nor is it consistent for the idolaters to attend the mosques of Allah bearing witness within themselves of their infidelity and the denial of Allah. These are they whose hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness here and Hereafter, and in Hell shall they have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[18] Indeed, the only people qualified to attend the mosques of Allah are those who faithfully believe in Him and in Day of Judgment, with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues, who engage in the act of worship and give Zakat, for zakat is but the vehicle of prayer, and fear no one but Allah. Such persons are hopefully expected to be among those who have resolved to attain no other way but the way to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness

[19] Do you Pagans wish to make quenching the thirst of the pilgrims and attending the Mosque equal with the mental consent to Allah on the ground of evidence and the belief in the truth of the Day of Judgment in addition to the ardour in the pursuit of the cause of Allah! Such duties as viewed by Him are not to be compared. Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the wrongful of actions

[20] Indeed, those who conformed to Allah's system of faith and worship and emigrated to where they could best serve Him and strove in His cause with their wealth and their lives are privileged by Allah with distinction in the scale of dignity and rank, and these are the triumphant who are bound to His care

[21] Their endeavour in Allah's cause has occasioned His gratification; He takes pleasure in announcing to them His mercy and blessings, His satisfaction and His heavenly gardens of supreme bliss wherein they shall have passed through nature to Eternity

[22] Their stay, in terms of state, is that of bliss, and in terms of time, is that vast; forever, and in heaven's realm does Allah have excellent rewards

[23] O you who have conformed to Islam: Do not favour the tutelage of your fathers nor of your sons if they prefer infidelity to Allah's system of faith and worship, and he who takes them as tutelary friends, protectors or guardians shall he and such persons be wrongful of actions

[24] Say O Muhammad to those who have conformed to Islam: "If your fathers and your sons, your brothers and your wives your kindred and the wealth you have acquired, your trade which you fear may stagnate or decline and the comfortable and attractive homes, are regarded with more esteem and affection than Allah and His Messenger and than fighting the good fight of faith, then you just wait until Allah's fitting judgement presents itself. Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the wrongful of actions

[25] Allah has helped you win victory in many battles of belief against disbelief, and on the day of the battle of Hunain when you presumed upon the great superiority of your numbers but it availed you nothing and the earth, vast as it is, seemed, due to lack of discipline and the ambition of the worldly minded among you, drawn together and constricted, then you shrank from danger and sought safety in flight

[26] There and then did Allah inspire peace and tranquility as well as just confidence to the hearts and minds of His Messenger and of the faithful troops, and He sent down an invisible array of angels to assail your enemies and put them to rout, and there, He inflicted them with punishment in requital of their infidelity

[27] Yet, thereafter does Allah give up resentment against whom He will and pardons his offence, for Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[28] O you who have conformed to Islam; the idolaters are impure spiritually and physically. Accordingly, they must not be allowed near the Sacrosanct Mosque after this year*. Should you fear scarcity as a result of breakage of commercial relations; Allah shall make His grace abound in you, if He will; He is indeed 'Alimun and Hakimun

[29] Fight those who deny Allah and the Day of judgement among Ahl AL-Kitab (people of the Book); they do not exclude what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor do they conform to Allah's system of faith and worship, the system of divine truth. Fight them the good fight of faith until they pay tribute in acknowledgement of submission (to supply revenue -like the Muslims- so the State)

[30] The Jews distinguished Ezra -O Zair-* they called him the son of Allah and the Christians called the Messiah, son of Mary, the son of Allah; a fable resembling the falsehood fabled about Allah by those infidels who preceded them. Allah condemns them in as much as they are worth and afflicts them with such evils as indicate a malignant fate. How strongly deluded they are so as to cause what is false to be accepted as true

[31] They took their Rabbins and their monks as well as the AL- Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), as tutelary Masters besides Allah, yet they have been commanded to worship but One Allah, the only Ilah there is. Praise be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes. He is far beyond all those they incorporate with Him

[32] With all the feeling in their minds directed toward falsifying the truth, they wish they could quench the very light of Allah by word of mouth, that is by propagating false rumours and uttering error against Him. But Allah is not moved by undue influence; He continues to make His way unrestrained to send His illumination -the Quran- proceeding from Him, until the souls have been lit by divine truth, and enlightenment has prevailed, albeit this be hateful to those who refuse to acknowledge the truth

[33] He is it Who has sent His Messenger with the spirit of truth guiding into all truth and with the true system of faith and worship featured in the Quran, the Criterion and the cannon wherein Providence is the guide. It aligns the course of actions of thought and of life of all concerned, Muslims and Non- Muslims whose religious practices are contingent on man- made related aspects of the one religion whose unclouded and authoritative front is Islam; albeit this is hateful to those who incorporate with Allah other deities

[34] O you people whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand: Many of the Rabbins and the Monks do wrongfully eat the people out of their property*, and obstruct the way to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness. Those who treasure up gold and silver and do not spend of it in divine service were born to be losers; announce to them O Muhammad the anticipation of a grievous punishment

[35] One day shall these precious metals be melted by the heat of the Fire of Hell and their foreheads, their sides and their backs be branded therewith. There and then shall they be told: "This is what you had treasured up and cherished; benevolence occasioned to you so much discontent that you denied the poor at their need. Now, you taste the torment which is laid on the damned in requital of hoarding up money and cheating the poor of their due and Allah of divine service

[36] The calendar introduced by Allah when He created the universe -the heavens and the earth- determines the month as the space of time from one new moon to the next, corresponding to the period of one complete revolution of the moon in reference to a point, faxed or movable, and divides the year accordingly into twelve revolutions or months, four of which are sacred and exclusively appropriated to some special purpose emblematic of this right and commendable religion. Therefore, do not wrong yourselves during this period of time nor discredit yourselves by word or thought. And fight the idolaters in the whole as they fight you in the whole and do realize that Allah upholds those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[37] To transpose a sacred month in favour of another month is to add to infidelity. Such a practice, as being adopted by the Pagans, made them sink deeper under the vexation of their minds; they permit it one year and forbid it another year so as to adjust means to ends and arrange them suitably to the number ordained by Allah, a practice that sets them at defiance with Allah in as much as it permits a course of action forbidden by Him. Thus were the Pagans enticed by their deeds of evil and iniquity that allured their minds' eyes and induced them to hug their irreverent conviction to their hearts and were swayed from the path of righteousness. Allah never guides to His path of righteousness the infidels whose aim is to defy Him

[38] O you who have conformed to Islam: what ails you that you are indisposed to action! When you are told to strive in the cause of Allah you cling heavily to the ground! Have you come to be worldly - minded and content with life here afore that Hereafter! But how little are the material and the immaterial things that minister to enjoyment and content here as compared with Hereafter

[39] Unless you respond favourably to the Messenger's call to serve Allah and be moved to action and fight the good fight of faith against disbelief, you will be pained at heart; Allah will afflict you, in His own way, with a condign punishment and replace you by others, and your indisposition to His purpose shall not harm Him in the least; Allah is Qadirun (Omnipotent) over all things

[40] If you do not afford him help and assist him in the accomplishment of Allah's purpose, you must realize that Allah graced him with triumph over his enemies -Quraish- who plotted for his life. Prompted by Allah and actuated by divine influence he left home with no one but his companion* to whom he was his second. In the cave** where they both hid, He said to his companion: Rest assured and do not grieve; we are not two but three; Allah is in our presence There and then did Allah inspire peace and tranquility as well as just confidence to the heart and mind of His Messenger and the thoughts were conveyed to one another, and He upheld him and supported him with an invisible array of angels. There, did Allah make what the infidels had forged in their breasts to what their tongues have vented fail to accord. Thus, was what they declared in words debased and the Word of Allah, supreme and dominant, is as always at the top; Allah is Azizun (Almighty) and Hakimun

[41] Move to action and fight the good fight of faith, each in his capacity, lightly armed and heavily armed, infantry and mounted troops men and women, old and young, rich and poor. Every hand must be open to contribute something to the common purpose, and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, a continuous series of operations constituting the whole. Such a campaign is to your advantage if only you knew. It kills the attempt your enemy has made to shake the dominion Allah intends to establish, it makes the final victory sit on your helm and brings you peace of mind and it helps you prevail and confirm Allah's system of faith and worship

[42] Had the expedition been a short distance and they were confident their march would attain its worldly end, they would have followed you. But the distance disenchanted their minds and appeared toilsome. They will swear to you O Muhammad that they would have gone out with you to fight had they been able to do so. They are the cause of their own destruction, and Allah knows that they are liars

[43] Allah bless you O Muhammad! Why did you grant them permission to be among the stay-at- home before sifting them in action to find out the truthful, and expose those who lie in their teeth

[44] Never shall those who lift to Allah their inward sight and assert the truth of the Hereafter ask you to exempt them from this obligation. They feel they must move to action as ordained by Allah Whose purpose is the heart of their purpose. They purpose to strive in His cause, which is their cause with their wealth and their lives. Allah is fully aware of those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[45] For laboured impiety; what apology can be invented but by those who deny Allah and the Day of Judgement and their deep-rooted doubt affects their hearts and their minds profoundly, and in their objective uncertainty they vacillate

[46] Had they been disposed in mood and mind to obey such advice as Allah inclines them to propound, they would have made all preparations necessary for overpowering the assailant who is quick, skillful and deadly. But being fully aware of their innermost thoughts and of what their breasts forge, Allah disliked their participation in the campaign, and discouraged them and impelled them to the feeling of utter demoralization and it was decided that they join the stay-at-home

[47] Had they joined you in battle, they would have caused discord and hastened to sow dissension, slander and thoughts of sedition among you, And among you are attentive hearers who bow down their ears to them. Allah is 'Alimun of all the wrongful of actions

[48] They made it their aim before truth prevailed to sow thoughts of sedition and discord and the wicked plotted against the just. They deranged your ordinary pursuits of life O Muhammad as well as your divine course of action, hoping you would not prevail and firmly establish Allah's system of faith and worship. But great is truth and it did prevail, and there did Allah's word, as is always expected, assume the top, notwithstanding their opposition and their evil feeling

[49] Among them is he who asks you O Muhammad to exempt him from participating in the expedition lest he succumbs to temptation; He says to you: "Exempt me from this obligation and do not let me fall into temptation". Indeed, into error and impiety, into temptation and turmoil, into insurgency and insurrection of ignorance and into persecution by Heaven have they fallen, and Hell besets the infidels who deny Allah

[50] When good fortune falls in your way, be it through victory or through martyrdom, they come to be actuated with envy and grieved at heart. But if you are befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity, they rejoice beyond a common joy and express their thoughts in words, thus: "With prudent foresight" they say, "we exercised caution beforehand to provide against misfortunes and turmoil", and they turn their backs and go away well pleased

[51] Say to them: Nothing befalls us good fortune or misfortune, victory or martyrdom, defeat or retreat, but has been divinely assessed and justly determined by Allah. He is our tutelary guardian and in Allah should those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand put their trust

[52] Say to them: " Do you give yourselves up to the first anticipations of your thoughts! But only one of two things can happen to us, and either of them is but an advantage, martyrdom or victory. As for you, we do anticipate an inevitable retributive punishment either from heaven or at our hands. Therefore, await the event that shall come in due time and we are also waiting

[53] Say to these hypocrites: "You may spend as much as you like, willingly or unwillingly, making great pretences to religion, but never shall your contributions be acknowledged nor be entered on the credit side of your account. You are a people whose wickedness has reached beyond your reach; it has reached the sky

[54] The reason for refusing to acknowledge their contributions is their unforgivable grave offence against Allah; an offence no amount of money can expiate. They deny Allah and His Messenger, they perform their act of worship with an attitude of mind dispirited and despondent and they spend in Allah's service with great disinclination and reluctance

[55] Do not let the splendour of their riches and their progeny excite your emotion by astonishment mingled with bewildered curiosity. Allah intends to make these attributes the cause of their suffering here below, through unrest and anxiety, and their souls shall be disembodied captivated by disbelief

[56] And they insolently made a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah that they are your co-religionists and therefore a part of you, when in fact together with you they do not make up a whole. They are a people who display ignoble fear in the face of danger, and they think they can avoid exciting your indignation

[57] If they can find a place of refuge or a cave or a hiding place, they will withdraw hastily from your society and fly to it

[58] Among these hypocrites are some who question your integrity in the way you distribute the spoils and Zakat and try to defame you. They disregard Allah's fundamental motive and reason of action and tend to go by their selfish motive principle. If they go share and share alike, they approve their hearts to Allah, and if they do not have a good share in what is distributed, they express their disapprobation and moral condemnation

[59] Had they been satisfied in mind with the divine fundamental assumption forming the basis of a chain of reasoning that guides the Messenger to action and said: "so be it, we are contented with Allah; His bounty will abound in us directly and through His Messenger and to Him we do homage and suit", it would have been to their advantage

[60] (Zakat is but a vehicle of prayers; it is due only to:a) The poor who are destitute of means of livelihood andb) The needy who are in temporary distress due to sickness, disability or the like.c) Those who are engaged as collectors and administrators thereof andd) Those who have just reconciled themselves with their own hearts and with Allah,e) Those in bondage -who are eager to buy their freedom-f) Those in debt -who are genuinely unable to pay what is owed to others-g) The support of the cause of Allah andh) And the wayfarer -who does not have the means for transportation and has to travel on foot.This is an obligation incumbent on Muslims and dutiful to Allah

[61] Among these hypocrites are also those who prejudice the Prophet and label him: "all ears". "He attentively listens to all that is being said, be it false or true; he is easily deceived". Say to them: "He bows down his ear and listens graciously to all that is of advantage to you"; he believes those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand and he is not deceived by those whom he perceives are lying". "He solemnly believes in Allah and trusts those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand for whom he is Allah's given mercy". Indeed those who prejudice the Prophet shall suffer the torment laid upon the damned

[62] They are reluctant to join you in battle and offer you some excuse and affirm it by an appeal to Allah so that you accept it, when it is Allah and His Messenger that they should conciliate by fighting in their cause if in fact their hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[63] Do they not know that he who sets himself against Allah and His Messenger shall suffer the fire of Hell wherein he will have passed through nature to eternal suffering, and this is indeed disgrace to the extreme

[64] Those hypocrites are subconsciously afraid of being found out, fearing lest a Surah should be revealed betraying their real character and their ill-natured hearts which they wish be kept secret. Say to them: "Hold whom you will in ridicule and laugh him to scorn. Allah shall expose your attributes you have always hoped would be kept secret

[65] And if you should ask them O Muhammad after their real nature has been betrayed, as to why did they plunge into defaming religion and disobeying Allah and His Messenger and laugh them to scorn! They would insolently say: We always plunge into worldly ambition and like to turn matters into a joke. Say to them: Do you make Allah, His revelations and His Messenger the object of a joke and laugh them to scorn

[66] Do not vindicate your grievous wrong now by a prologue and an apology You have turned renegades. If We forgive some of you because of coming back to their senses, We will punish others who are indeed wicked

[67] The hypocrites -men and women- spring from one another and complement each other. They enjoin what is evil and forbid what is just and right. They keep their hands tightly shut, unwilling to spend in divine service and fail to recall Allah to mind and by consequence Allah has neglected them. Indeed the hypocrites are faithless, perverse and morally depraved

[68] Allah has promised the hypocrites the men and the women together with those who deny Him and disregard His authoritative commands the fire of Hell wherein they will have passed through nature to eternal suffering; Hell claims them as her own. Allah has cursed them and they shall suffer the torment laid upon the damned

[69] You hypocrites stand similitude exact of those who preceded you. They were mightier than you are and they lived in greater affluence of wealth and progeny. They enjoyed all that afforded pleasure and was of sensuous character and they neglected all that was dutiful to Allah. Similarly you enjoy all that affords pleasure and is of sensuous character in the same way as those who preceded you; you plunged into worldly ambition the same as they plunged themselves into defaming religion and disobeying Allah. You and such persons are those whose hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness here and Hereafter, and all of you were born to be losers

[70] Have they not been informed of what became of their predecessors -the people of Nuh (Noah) and those of 'Ad, the people of Thamud and those of Ibrahim(Abraham), the people of Shuaib -the Madianites- and those of Lut (Lot) - the subverted cities-. All of them received Messengers who brought them divine illumination and enlightenment. Never was Allah going to do them. injustice, but it was they who wronged themselves

[71] And those of the men and the women whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand are mutual friends; they have a sincere reciprocation of all their kind feelings, they enjoin what is just and right and forbid what is evil, they faithfully and regularly engage in the act of worship and give Zakat; and they obey Allah and His Messenger. These shall Allah have mercy on them and bless their souls. Indeed Allah is Azizun, and Hakimun

[72] Allah has promised the men and the women whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues, blissful gardens in the realm of heaven; gardens of surpassing beauty beneath which flow rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity. Allah has promised them also beautiful mansions in the Gardens of Eden, and above all they come in Allah's grace and win His satisfaction and esteem. This is indeed triumph supreme

[73] O you Prophet: Endeavour vigourously and strive hard against the infidels and the hypocrites and be harsh with them and forbidding. Their abode is Hell, and evil indeed is the destination

[74] They swear to you they never spoke slander against you, when in fact they uttered in a proud and unreserved manner the word emblematic of infidelity, and turned renegades. They meditated mischief featured in their plan to kill you on returning from battle* field, but their attempt upon your life utterly failed. And instead of impelling themselves to gratitude and gratefulness for your presence –in Madina which made Heaven endow them with prosperity, justice and suppression of selfishness; they attempted to avenge Allah's grace by returning evil for good. Nonetheless, if they return to their senses and in lowliest plight repentant stand, it will be to their advantage. But should they turn away and counsel deaf, Allah shall put thorn to the torment here and Hereafter, and no friend on earth nor a protector shall they find

[75] Among them were some whose vows were pledged to Allah that if His grace abounded in them, they would give in benevolence and spend in divine service and be of those whose deeds are printed with wisdom and Piety

[76] And when He bestowed on them of His bounty, their actions to their words did not accord. They were niggardly in divine service and they said to their money "you are my god". They turned away, refusing to heed and turned a deaf ear

[77] By consequence did Allah make hypocrisy go in pursuit of their hearts and overtake their will, their senses and their feelings until the Day they be in His presence and assemble before Him. This is in the train of their wickedness, featured in their disregard of the vows, pledged to Allah, and in their intentional assertion of what is false

[78] Do they not realize that Allah knows what their bosoms store of thoughts and feelings and what they suggest secretly to their minds and all that is not openly avowed! Do they not know that He is well acquainted with their secret counsel and with all that they whisper below their breath and that He is 'Alimun of the seen, the invisible and the unseen

[79] To sink deeper under the vexations of their minds, they spoke maliciously of the rich who consider Zakat is but the vehicle of prayer and consequently give Zakat and do benevolence, and of those who are not rich who contribute their effort or a part of what they earn by labour. They bombarded them with foul epithets and laughed them to scorn. Allah has mocked them and betrayed their wicked attributes and destined them to a condign punishment

[80] You may invoke Allah's forgiveness on their behalf O Muhammad or you may not; it is one and the same. Even if you invoke Allah's forgiveness on their behalf seventy times, never shall He forgive them. They denied Allah and His Messenger and insolently and defiantly disregarded Allah's commands; Allah does not guide the wicked to His path of righteousness

[81] These hypocrites, the stay-at-home, rejoiced for remaining behind, leaving the Messenger and his available troops to set forth for the battle and they hated to participate in the expedition; they disliked greatly to strive with their wealth and their lives and incited others not to join the expedition in the scorching heat of the summer. Say to them: The heat of Hell is far more intense and indeed merciless if only you have enough intelligence to reflect

[82] They may deride; ridicule and laugh the believers to scorn. They shall laugh only for a little but much shall they weep. They shall weep their fill and expend their endless life in Hell in weeping in requital of what their minds and souls had impelled them to do

[83] And if Allah destines you Muhammad to return back safe and secure from battle and the occasion arises for another expedition and any group of these hypocrites ask your permission to join you, you simply refuse and say to them: "Never shall you join me in any expedition nor shall you ever join me in combat or in any military campaign against an enemy. You rejoiced when you remained behind and stayed at home on the first occasion which was indeed crucial, and therefore, you shall again join those who remain behind

[84] Nor should you pray -O Muhammad- for any of them who dies nor observe his funeral or burial rites. These are people who denied Allah and His Messenger and died with minds captivated by wickedness, moral and total depravity

[85] Nor should you let the splendour of their riches and their progeny excite your emotion by astonishment mingled with bewildered curiosity. Allah intends to make these attributes the cause of their suffering here below through unrest and anxiety, and their souls be disembodied captivated by disbelief

[86] And when a Surah is revealed from Heaven enjoining the belief in Allah and commanding action together with His Messenger in His cause you see the able and the affluent among them requesting exemption, saying to you: "Permit us to remain with those remaining behind. The stay-at-home

[87] Satisfied in mind to remain behind with the stay-at-home, they rejoiced beyond a common joy; their hearts have been impressed with dullness of comprehension and therefore they do not apprehend the voice from heaven nor can they be provoked to apprehend virtue

[88] But the Messenger together with those who fell in line with him strove with their wealth and their lives to implement their obligation to Allah Whose purpose is the heart of their purpose. These are the recipients of Allah's grace and of all that is good to attain and it is these whom heaven hall prosper

[89] Allah has prepared for them in His heaven’s realm gardens of surpassing beauty beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity, and this is indeed triumph supreme

[90] Then there came those of the desert Arabs, full of false excuses, to claim exemption, while those of them who apparently conformed to Islam, but deep in heart they deny Allah and His simply sat at home. Those of them who deny Allah and do not submit to His commands shall be put to the torment laid upon the damned

[91] Absolved from warfare are the weak and the sick and those who are indigent lacking the necessities of life. These are excused to stay at home provided they are sincere with Allah and His Messenger, for the sincere shall always find acceptance with Allah These may contribute to the divine cause in their own way if and when they can. Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

[92] Absolved also are those who come to you O Muhammad intending sincerely to join your expedition and you tell them: "I do not have the means to carry you to the battle field" and they weep their fill due to their disappointment. They are grieved at heart over their inability to contribute to Allah's purpose which is the heart of their purpose

[93] But the consequence is indeed incurred on those who are rich and yet they make excuses to claim exemption and do not contribute to Allah's cause. Satisfied in mind, they are pleased to remain behind together with the stay-at- home. Allah has impressed their hearts with dullness of comprehension, and therefore, they do not apprehend the voice from Heaven nor can they be provoked to apprehend virtue. They do not know what is true and by consequence do not know what is good

[94] And when you return back from battle safe and secure, they apologize to you for their offence. Say to them O Muhammad: "Do not offer defensive arguments; we will not believe you; Allah has informed us of your disposition and betrayed your attributes, and Allah and His Messenger shall watch over your innocence and follies, then you shall be sent back to Him Who is 'Alimun of the invisible and of what your bosoms store of thoughts and feelings, and of the visible and the seen and of what is avowed openly and openly disclosed. There and then shall He inform you of what your minds and souls had impelled you to do

[95] They will swear to you with an appeal to Allah when you return to them from battle safe and secure that what they offered you as a reason for claiming exemption was justified; they mean to be exculpated so that you do not censure them or meddle with them with hostile intent. Avoid them O Muhammad and have nothing to do with them. They are morally impure, unhallowed and defiled by sin. Their abode shall be Hell in requital of what their minds and souls have impelled them to do

[96] They swear to you to approve of them because of the kindness of your heart, you must realize that Allah never approves of a people who grow daily more and more wicked

[97] The desert Arabs -Bedouins- are more reprehensible morally and more addicted to infidelity and hypocrisy, they are the most fitted to be ignorant and unaware of the divine statutes and legislative provisions sent down to His Messenger, and Allah is 'Alimun and Hakimun

[98] Among these desert Arabs are some who consider spending in the cause of Allah a useless expenditure and a great loss. They pore their thoughts over evil and wish that you Muslims would be befallen with a misfortune or be wedded to a calamity. May Allah afflict them with a disaster and wed them to a calamity; Allah is Sami'un (Omnipresent with unlimited audition) and 'Alimun

[99] Nonetheless, among these -desert Arabs- are some whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand; they have faith in the doctrine of Islam and they faithfully recognize Allah and acknowledge the truth of the Day of Judgement. They look upon what they spend in His cause as offerings bringing them closer to Him and an inducement to His Messenger to invoke Allah's mercy and blessings on their behalf, for the invocatory prayer of the Messenger is indeed a great offering bringing them closer to Allah. He will admit their claim to His blessings and extend to them His mercy; Allah is indeed Ghafurun and Rahimun

[100] And the van of those who forsook their homes and emigrated with the Messenger, those who welcomed them and gave them aid and those who followed their example, are the recipients of Allah's blessings. Allah has been gracious to them. He is well pleased with them and they with Him. He has prepared for them gardens of surpassing beauty beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity, and this is triumph supreme

[101] Some of the desert Arabs round about you, and of the a Madinite are hypocrites; to all of them hypocrisy is a way of life. They conceal their disposition and cleverly hide their nature from apprehension, you do not recognized them, but We do know them. We will make them suffer double, then be sent back to the torment laid upon the damned

[102] There are others who have confessed their faults; there is much good in them albeit they succumbed to evil. Some of their deeds were characterized by reverence and others by evil, Allah may give up resentment against them and pardon their offense. He accepts true repentance; Allah is indeed Ghafurun and Rahimun

[103] Take O Muhammad from their wealth a sum of money, an offering to set them upon the course of purity of thought and action and to impart sanctity to them, Pray Allah to forgive them; your invocatory prayer pacifies their minds and souls and frees them from mental and spiritual disturbance and from the conflict arising from their sense of guilt, Allah is Sami'un and 'Alimun

[104] Do they not know that Allah is He Who alone has the rightful claim to accepting repentance and the atonement made by His servants and that He accepts offerings, and acts of charity. It is only He Who relents and quits His servants all His debt and He is Rahimun

[105] Say to the people O Muhammad: "Work", that is to say: "Allah and His Messenger and the believers shall watch over your actions. Then you shall be sent back to Him Who is 'Alimun of the invisible and of what your bosoms store of thoughts and feelings, and of the visible and the seen and of what is avowed openly and openly disclosed. Then He shall inform you of all that your minds and your souls had impelled you to do." [this is a reconstruction of the interpretation of this ayat]

[106] There are others the stay -at- home who are held in suspense for an expected decision; Allah may punish them or give up resentment against them and pardon their offence; And Allah is 'Alimun, and Hakimun

[107] Those who built a Mosque professedly from religious motives when in fact it was built from selfish and evil motives: to be a vexation to the Muslims, to establish infidelity, to be a mere nest of the conspirators against Islam to cause dissent among the Muslims and set them at variance and to be an outpost for the warriors who fought against Allah and His Messenger before. They swear to you O Muhammad that they only mean good, but Allah knows well and bears witness that they are liars

[108] Never set foot in it, nor perform an act of worship therein. A Mosque built on piety, obedience to Allah and the intention of serving Allah's purpose from the first day merits visiting for the purpose of worship; it is the most appropriate and the most worthy place for the purpose. Therein are people who aspire to physical purity and the purity of their souls and their minds. And Allah likes those who are physically, morally and spiritually pure

[109] Is he who has built his structure on a foundation of piety and the gratification of Allah better or the one who has built his structure on a foundation of impiety featured by a building founded on an undermined sandcliff which collapses and crumbles away in the fire of Hell! And Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the wrongful of actions

[110] Their building which, crumbled to pieces in the fire of Hell shall not cease to be the cause of mental pain, sorrow and distress to their hearts, alarm and suspicion to their conscience until the day their hearts are crushed with sorrow and the day they die, and Allah is 'Alimun and Hakimun

[111] Allah has bought from those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise. They strive in His cause whether they gain victory or be martyrized in His cause. It is a solemn promise Allah has pledged in AL-Tawrah (the Torah), AL-Injil (the Gospel) and the Quran, and who can honour and fulfill his promise better than Allah. Therefore, you may rejoice O Muslims at the bargain you have made to your advantage; This is indeed triumph supreme

[112] Those who have the distinguished attributes of

[113] it is not in conformity with reason wherefore the Prophet together with those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand make an invocatory prayer asking Allah's mercy on those Pagans who died with minds captivated in disbelief in Allah, even though they be of the same kin especially after they have been assured by Allah that such persons are destined to the abode in Hell

[114] The invocatory prayer made by Ibrahim on behalf of his father was in fulfillment of a promise he had made to him. But when he realized that his father was an avowed enemy to Allah, he declared his innocence of his ills and of his fatherhood. Indeed Ibrahim constantly implored Allah with touching entreaties, and forbearance was an attribute of his

[115] Nor would Allah lead, people into error after He has guided them lo His path of righteousness until He has explicitly made known to them what they must avoid and they did not, Allah is indeed 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all in all

[116] To Allah belongs the Absolute sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and causes animate existence and He occasions death and deprives of animate existence. And besides Allah you people have no tutelary protector nor is- there anyone who affords you help

[117] Allah has accorded mercy to the Prophet and his troops who followed him and united in one body behind him at the hour of distress throughout the difficult days of the expedition* -scorching heat and inadequate supplies- when some of them lost heart through incipient weakness, and were about to lose field. Allah was merciful to them; He sustained them spiritually and upheld their pined bodies and minds after He has confirmed their true inclination and the truth of their firm disposition. He was gracious to them and indeed Rahimun. * Tabuk

[118] As for the three affluent and able men, yet thoughtless, slack and wanting in strength of will who were boycotted and excluded from the life of the community to the end that, vast as it is, the earth seemed drawn together and constricted and their souls constrained. Poor in spirit, they realized through self- reproach that they would not and could not flee from Allah but could find solace in coming back to Him. He gave up resentment against them and pardoned their offense so that they would in lowliest plight repentant stand. Allah is AL-Tawab (Relenting) Who accepts repentance and the atonement made by the people; and He is AL-Rahim (Merciful)

[119] O you who have conformed to Islam: entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and be an integral part of those who are strongly and habitually disposed to tell the truth and their words and their deeds together accord

[120] It was not right nor was it excusable that the Muslim residents of Madina and those of the desert Arabs round about them desert the Messenger in his expedition and remain behind, nor was there any cause inducing them to prefer their own lives to his. The conclusion of all this is that no thirst, hardship or hunger they suffer in Allah's cause or a scheme they design to outwit and anger the infidels and obtain an advantage over them or whether they gain victory or suffer loss but it is credited to them as a righteous deed; Allah does not annul, withhold or withdraw the fruit which people are entitled to reap from deeds of wisdom and piety

[121] Nor do they spend in divine service little or much nor journey across a valley to strive in the cause of Allah but is credited to their account so that He requites them for every deed at the gauge of the best of what they accomplished

[122] Nor should those who conformed to Islam go forth all at once to the Messenger, but only a group from each community should go to learn from him practical divinity and jurisprudence and convey back such divine knowledge to their people and caution them against provoking Allah's indignation that they may heed

[123] O you who have conformed to Islam: wage war against the infidels who dwell in the adjacent towns round about you; they are a source of danger to you. Let them feel that you are rigorous, unbending, firm and stern but you must realize that Allah upholds those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[124] When a Surah is sent down, some of them -the hypocrites- insolently and mockingly say to each other: who among you has this Surah impressed his heart with religious and spiritual virtues? Indeed those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand are receptive to divine knowledge; it gives them moral support and confidence and increases their force of reason; their hearts become impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues. Stirred by emotion, they rejoice beyond a common joy

[125] Whereas it -the Surah- adds doubt to those whose ill-natured hearts reflect the morbidity inherent in their innermost being and gives them occasion to uncertainty and increases the degree of their infidelity. They will depart life captivated in disbelief

[126] Do they not perceive by physical and mental sight what is below the surface! They are subjected to a severe test and a strain and they are put to straits once or twice every year that they may hopefully in lowliest plight repentant stand, but they neither repent nor do they reflect

[127] And when a Surah is sent down, they look at one another and express their thoughts in words, thus: "Does anyone see you", they ask, and they take their leave. May Allah turn their hearts and thoughts away from the truth and close their hearts' ears to admonition; they lack diligence and they are a people who have no comprehension of Allah nor of the spoken discourse of reason narrated by His Messenger

[128] O you people: There has come to you a Messenger raised in your midst and related to you by kinship. He is grieved at heart and affected with deep sorrow to see you perfect your ruin and be destroyed by your iniquities which oppress his feelings and his mind. You are his object of care and deep concern with view to guiding you to the path of righteousness, and he is kind, tender and merciful to those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[129] Nonetheless, if they O Muhammad should close their hearts' ears and direct their thoughts away from you, then you simply express in words the invocatory prayer, thus: " Enough is Allah for me; in Him do I find the answer to my purpose, my hopes and my needs; there is no Ilah but He; in Him I trust and He is the Absolute Sovereign of the Great Throne of dominion, authority, grace and mercy

[1] (Alef), L. (Lam), R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, cannot be emulated. These divine words -the preceding and those to follow- are divinely discoursed, verses, constituting the Book -the Quran- and verses wisdom to divine knowledge

[2] Is it so exceptional in peoples' sight to a degree exciting their wonder and astonishment that We inspire one of them with such divine knowledge to warn them and warn all people of the danger of denying Allah, and to announce blissful tidings to those of them who have recognized Him, that Heaven shall set them on their feet secure and esteemed high? Yet the infidels dispute the facts with perspicuous energy, declaring that this, man - Muhammad- is simply a necromancer who stands manifest of sorcery

[3] Allah, your Creator is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in six* days determined by His own unit of time and proclaimed in His calendar. Then set He Himself on the Throne of supremacy and dominion, of grace and mercy. He conducts all affairs, and no intercessor is permitted to intercede on behalf of another without His permission. This is Allah, your Creator; you had better revere Him, regard Him with extreme respect and devotion and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; can you not reflect

[4] To Him shall be your return at the end of your life here below. His promise is absolutely true. He started creation and He continues to create and recreate, and on the Day of Resurrection all shall be created anew. Then He justly rewards those who recognized Him and obeyed Him, adored Him with appropriate acts and rites and vested their deeds with wisdom and, piety. He requites those infidels who denied Him with what is commensurate with their evil deeds. Their thirst shall be quenched with broiling water and their faculties of physical perception shall suffer torment by consequence of what their minds and souls had impelled them to do

[5] He is it who made the sun -the central body of the solar system- emit light*, and the moon** -the satellite of the earth- derive its light from it. and reflect it to earth. He determined the divisions of the ecliptic*** for the moon to occupy them on successive days and present its phases according to the extent of its illumination**. This helps you to know the number of the years or reckon the time occupied by the sun in its apparent passage through the signs of the Zodiac and the period of the earth's revolution round the sun forming a natural unit of time, so that you be able to compute time and determine it by calculation. Never did Allah institute this and bring it about but for a serious end that conforms with the truth and agrees with reality. Thus does Allah expound His revelations and render His discourse readily understood by those who reflect

[6] Indeed, in the variation in duration besides the constant alternation and succession symbolic of the night and the day* in addition to all that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are evident signs betokening Allah's Omnipotence and Authority to people who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[7] Indeed, those who do not entertain the thought and belief of meeting with Allah and facing Him resolutely, and they are content with life here and rest assured and satisfied with it and they are oblivious of His signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority, are they who have lost their way

[8] Such persons were born to be losers. Their abode is Hell in requital of what their minds and souls have impelled them to do

[9] But those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds with wisdom and piety, shall be recipients of Allah's mercy and grace. Allah guides them along the illumination proceeding from their innermost being to His path of righteousness ending in heaven's realm of beatitude where picturesque rivers flow beneath them as they enjoy a state of supreme felicity in the gardens of supreme bliss

[10] Their invocatory prayer therein shall be: Glory be to Allah and extolled are His glorious attributes. Their hearty reception therein shall be "Peace", and the conclusion of their prayer shall express their thoughts, thus: Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the universe

[11] If Allah were to hasten His response to people who deserve ill as they invoke Him to hasten His response to confer on them what is good, their Hereafter would be planted in the now. But We give those who do not entertain the thought the Day of Judgement plenty of rope to allow them free action to commit themselves to the loss in the maze of error

[12] When man is touched or befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity, he invokes us for relief, reclining on his side or sitting or standing, and when We deliver him from what was burdensome and exhaustive to the mind, he passes heedless of Allah as if he never invoked Him to relieve him from a misfortune that had befallen him. Thus are the extravagant in their accounts of themselves allured by false hopes springing eternal in their bosoms

[13] Destruction and death of generations that preceded in order of time were events you people must have heard of. They were wrongful of actions. They received Messengers as spectacles and warnings but they refused to give credence to their messages and to the divine enlightenment, thus do We requite the wicked

[14] Then We brought you people into existence and made you the successors to see how you would act and whether or not you would behave like people of sense

[15] When Our revelations are recited to them -to the idolaters- emitting thoughts of piety and divine enlightenment, they react with revulsion of feeling and they insolently say: "Bring a Quran different from this or substitute the words We do not like for others to our taste" Say to them O Muhammad "it is not within my power to make changes of my own accord; I only follow all that is inspired to me, nor do I dare to disobey Allah, my Creator, for the penalty shall be the torment that is suffered on a Momentous Day

[16] Say to them "Had- Allah willed He would not have sent down a Book and I would not have had to recite it to you nor instruct you in practical divinity nor furnish you with authoritative directions as to action. I have lived in your midst for years before it was revealed to me; can you not Reflect

[17] Who then is more wrongful of actions than he who relates to Allah falsehood or denies His revelations and signs demonstrating His Omnipotence and Authority! Indeed the wicked shall never prosper

[18] They worship besides Allah what shall never hurt them nor profit them, and they claim that such objects of worship shall serve as their intercessors pleading on their behalf with Allah! Say to them O Muhammad: Do you inform Allah of what He does not know in the heavens and the earth!" Glory be to Him- and extolled are His glorious attributes; He is infinitely far beyond those whom or which they incorporate with Him

[19] People were but one single nation, then they differed among themselves in opinion and each group cherished a certain view and belief and were altogether set at variance. Had it not been for Allah's word proclaimed beforehand to delay the decision on matters of doubt and dispute among them and to put punishment in respite, their Hereafter would have been planted in the now

[20] They -the idolaters- insolently say: "If only a sign other than the Quran be revealed to evince both his wisdom and the truth of his mission!" Say to them O Muhammad: "Divination of things to come rests in the hands of Allah Who knows the hidden, the unknown and all that is destined to come, therefore, you just wait O people, I will also await with you future events

[21] Should We make people taste Our mercy and benediction following a touch of a misfortune that has befallen them, their cunning borders upon knavery and they direct their roguery against Our signs and revelations. Say to them: "Allah is prompt in having recourse to stratagem and indeed Our watchful guardian angels commit to writing every cunning act that your minds and souls impel you to do

[22] It is He who enables you to travel by land and sea and when you are on board a ship and a gentle breeze arises and the sails catch it and cause the vessel to move through the water before the wind, people rejoice beyond a common joy*. But when the light wind changes to a brisk gale** and waves rise in billows tossing them in every direction and they think they are enclosed by danger on all sides and they are bereaved of hope, they invoke Allah with an unconscious common feeling of an intuitive cognition and belief in Him, reasoning high exclusively of Providence to the end that if He delivers them from this catastrophe they would be indeed thankful

[23] After He has rescued them from a sure disaster, they simply run riot and go unjustly beyond prudent and reasonable limits. O you people, who do not keep a promise nor honour a vow: You had better realize that your imprudence works against your own interest: The enjoyment in life here is evanescent and fleeting and suddenly and soon enough shall you be on your way back to us, and there and then We shall inform you of all that your minds and souls have impelled you to do

[24] Life here below stands similitude exact of the soil which is stirred to activity and swells up by absorption of the rain water falling from the floor of the vault of heaven. The water is imbibed by soil which constitute the victuals of both man and animal causing the vegetal growths to flourish and grow healthy and vigorous. The earth is rendered beautiful and pleasing to the senses and the world comes to be adorned and furnished with all that is ornamental, the natural and the artificial, and when its inhabitants begin to think that it shall always minister to their necessities and pleasure and they are now the masters thereof, there comes Our command to pass by night or by day to convince mankind that it is not in mortals to command success, and we mow it down as if it never flourished the day before. Thus do We expound Our revelations and make Our discourse readily understood by people who reflect

[25] Allah invites to a world of peace in His heaven's realm and He guides whom He will to the path of safety and righteousness

[26] A world in the August presence where He shall requite those who vested their deeds with wisdom and piety with more than they expect; more than what is commensurate with their pious deeds. Never shall their faces be overlaid with unbroken and oppressing, mournful and painful gloom nor with humiliation and shame; these are the inmates of Paradise wherein they wit have passed through nature to Eternity

[27] But those who have committed themselves to an evil line of conduct, the retribution for evil doing is evil of a like nature, in addition to the gloom and the mortification which shall overlay their faces. No one shall they find then to afford them protection against Allah's retributive punishment; their faces shall be coated with gloom; a painful distressing darkness they will have to assume, as if they were wearing a mask made by a mould of a pitch-dark night These are the Inmates of Hell wherein they will have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[28] The Day We throng them all together, We will address them, thus: Stop, where you are, together with your predominant partners whom you incorporated with Allah; you shall hear His verdict and We keep them apart. There and then shall say those who were worshipped to their worshippers: "You did not really worship us, but you worshipped your lust and your inordinate self-esteem and determination

[29] And they add: Allah knows all the facts. He is a witness of our actions and of your actions and He corroborates our statement that we were oblivious of the reverence and veneration you paid to us and of your feelings which were akin to worship

[30] There and then shall every soul come to be fully aware of all that it had advanced in life of good and pious deeds and of all that it had committed of evil deeds. Now, they have been brought back to Allah, their Creator, Who is truth personified. Now they are renounced and forsaken by those whom they presumed to share with Allah His divine nature and who have failed their expectations

[31] Say to them -the infidels- O Muhammad: "Who supplies you with the provisions from the Heavens and the earth and with the means of sustaining your lives? Who has control over the faculties of hearing and sight, faculties divine? Who causes the living* to egress from the dead and causes the dead to fall from the living? And Who conducts all affairs? Ironically, they will say: "Allah". Then say to them: "Will you, then, not entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[32] This, then, is Allah, your Creator, Who is truth personified. If you disregard the truth, there remains only false beliefs and departure from moral righteousness. Therefore, how do you people counsel deaf and turn away from the truth

[33] Thus was the word of Allah verified and proved true against the wicked who just do not give credence to the truth nor do they accord Allah recognition

[34] Say to them: "Is there any one among your predominant partners whom -you presume to share with Allah His divine nature who can start creation from nothingness and reproduce it? Then say to them: " Allah does start creation from nothingness and reproduces it and on the Day of Resurrection He shall create all anew, therefore, how could you be strongly deluded so as to believe a lie

[35] Say to them O Muhammad: "Is there anyone among your predominant partners whom you presume to share with Allah His divine nature, who can guide people into all truth!" Then say to them: Allah's spirit of truth guides to all truth, therefore, does He Who guides to all truth not merit to be followed, or he who cannot act as a guide and needs to be guided!" "What ails you people that you cannot apprehend mentally the difference nor arrive at a sound and correct Judgement

[36] Most of them only follow the false suppositions and the incitement arising from the state of their minds and feeling. An opinion offered on insufficient presumptive evidence cannot override the truth nor overrule it; Allah is 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all that they do

[37] Nor could this Quran be contrived by anyone even if he is of singular ingenuity. Its inimitability, guidance and precision betoken its divine nature and exclude all else besides Allah. It corroborates and authoritatively validates all the divine Books revealed before it in time and serves as an excellent interpretation expounding all the statutes and ordinances past and present revealed to all intelligent creatures and exacts obedience from the whole. It is undoubtedly a Revelation emphatically revealed by Allah, the Creator of the universe and of the world-to-come

[38] Or do they say: "He Muhammad has forged it" Say to them: "If you do believe I did, then produce one Surah the like thereof, and call on all those besides Allah whom you can possibly engage to venture upon this undertaking if indeed you are declaring the truth

[39] The fact is that: they deny the Quran and assert that it is false without deliberating on its divine discourse and without knowledge of its precepts, nor has its interpretation been given yet. Similarly reacted their predecessors under the vexations of their minds, and you can see the fatal consequence of the wrongful of actions

[40] Nonetheless, among them are some who give credence to it and hold it as true and divine, while others do simply refuse to receive it with favour or consenting mind. But Allah, your Creator, knows best those who are characterized with prepensed malice

[41] However, if they should charge you O Muhammad with falsehood, you just say to them: "I am responsible for my deeds and you are responsible for yours; you are innocent of my actions and I am innocent of what your minds and souls impel you to do

[42] Among them are some who listen to your discourse on practical divinity but they counsel deaf. Therefore, do you think you will be able to communicate with those whose their hearts' ears are closed and they fail to reflect

[43] Among them are those who stare at you with vacant minds, therefore, would you be able to guide those whose their minds' eyes are blind, unable to perceive mentally or apprehend by thought

[44] Allah does not and shall not do injustice to any one not even in the slightest degree, but it is the people who wrong themselves through perversity of judgement or persistence and obstinacy in erroneous opinion

[45] On the Day He throngs them before Him for judgement, they shall bring back to the mind their life below appearing to them, then, as though it had lasted for no more than one hour of the time of daylight, and they shall recognize each other by the distinctive features, the appearance and the character. There and then shall the losers be those who denied Resurrection and the audience of Allah, who were misdirected in action and thought and had the wrong purpose and intention

[46] We either show you, in your life time O Muhammad some part of the promised retributive punishment, or occasion your death before you witness this punishment. Then to us they are destined to return, and Allah is Shahidun (Omnipresent) and He witnesses all that they do

[47] To every people, generation or nation has a Messenger been sent to admonish them to seek Allah, their Creator and draw near to him. Following his death, the legacy of thought and the message of truth were committed to a delegate until another Messenger was sent, And in Day of judgment shall every Messenger bear witness to his peoples' response, and people shall be judged and every one is rendered his due and no one shall be wronged

[48] The infidels ask as usual: "When shall it -the Day of judgment- be, if you - the Messenger and his followers- are declaring the truth

[49] Say to them: "I have no control over what will come nor of what will befall me, be it bad or good, but as Allah Wills" And to every people, all and each, We have ordained a definite point of time, and when their. time is fulfilled never shall they be able to delay it or anticipate it for one hour or infinitely less

[50] Say to them: "What if Allah afflicts you with a penalty by night or by day in requital of your evil deeds or your Hereafter be planted in the now; what benefit would you -the wicked- derive from it that you wish it to be hastened on

[51] Is it only now that your Hereafter is planted you admit that it is carried on from discourse and design to reality and effect, when in life below you mockingly challenged it and wished it be hastened on

[52] There and then shall the wrongful of actions be told: "Now taste the eternal punishment laid on the damned; shall you be requited but with what is commensurate with your evil deeds

[53] They mockingly and insolently ask you O Muhammad with a strong bias toward the disparagement of Resurrection and of the Quran and its threat or menace of committing the infidels to Hell-Fire, and wonder interrogatively if this be true! Say to them: "By Allah, my Creator, it is indeed true; it is as true as is the needle to the pole, and you just cannot counteract the laws and statutes of the Realm nor can you escape

[54] If every sinful soul were so affluent that it held in possession all the riches on earth, it would gladly pay it in expiation of its guilt with pining regrets and vain repentances when they are confronted with the horrid punishment. There and then they are judged with equity and justice and no one shall ever be wronged

[55] Indeed, to Allah alone belongs all that exists, be it visible or invisible, in the heavens and on earth. In point of fact the promise uttered by Allah is the truth personified but most of them -the infidels- do not seem to realize this fact

[56] He gives life and causes animate existence and He occasions the moment of death, and to Him the whole and all in all are destined to go back

[57] O you people, there has come to you from Allah, your Creator, an authoritative admonition exhorting you to recognize Him and urges you to what is good and laudable. It serves as an incitement to worship no one but Him and as remedy for your hearts and minds from sinful infirmities of idolatry and infidelity and as a guide and mercy to those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[58] Say to them: You people ought to rejoice at Allah's grace and mercy - His guidance to the path of righteousness, the illumination and enlightenment, reason, sense and endless advantages summed up in you and outweighing all that you accumulate of the mundane things of this life

[59] Say to them: Do you see the victuals with which Allah has provided you of His bounty, both from heaven and from beneath your feet, and you took the liberty to classify them according to your desire into the permissible and the forbidden insisting that all pleasures are good! Was it Allah Who permitted you to do so or do you take a persistent stand to relate to Allah falsehood and promote your own falsehood

[60] What shall you do then on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement when you stand before Allah indebted and committed for your intentional assertion of falsehood! Indeed, Allah's grace abounds in people but most of them show indisposition to acknowledge His bounty and display want of gratitude

[61] We do know that you -the Messenger- have delivered the divine message, no matter whether you are engaged in the affairs of mankind or in the ordinary pursuits of life or in any other concern, and no matter how little, or how much you recite of the Quran, and no matter what you people do or undo or accomplish but We are witnesses thereof. We experience it by personal observation as you busy yourselves for good or ill. Nor is there anything in an atom's weight on earth or in heaven that escapes your Creator's knowledge nor lesser or larger in amount or degree but is recorded in a documentary book that furnishes evidence of facts and events

[62] Indeed, those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand who chose to be under Allah's tutelage are they who are safe and secure; they have no ground for alarm nor shall fear or dread fall upon them, nor shall they come to grief

[63] They have faithfully recognized Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[64] The news of joyful events are hereby announced to them in this world and in the world-to-come. The words uttered by Allah are not alterable, meaning that divine assurance of present and future good or blessing is irrevocable and this is indeed triumph supreme

[65] Therefore, let not their- the infidels' - vain and unreasonable discourse O Muhammad grieve you at heart. Might, honour and Omnipotence are all asserted as Allah's own; He is Sami'un (Omnipresent with unlimited audition) and 'Alimun

[66] Indeed, all that exists in the heavens and on earth and all creatures in the heavens and on earth belong to Allah alone. Those infidels who incorporate with Him other deities pervert the facts; they only follow the false suppositions and the incitement arising from the state of their minds and feelings; they simply lie and indeed they lie in their teeth

[67] He -Allah- is it Who designated for you a period of darkness -the night-* to take your natural repose and recuperate, and a period filled with -light the day- to have clear perception of things and acquire experience of the activities of human existence. These are phenomena emblematic indeed of Allah's Omnipotence and Authority, phenomena that are appreciated and faithfully recognized by people who bow down their ears to the truth

[68] They -The infidels- insolently said: Allah has taken up a son; glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes; He is infinitely Independent and Absolute. To Him alone belong all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Do you people have proof or solid information or a valid indication to evidence your ugly and false allegation ! Do you relate to Allah what you do not know nor able to prove

[69] Say to them -the infidels-: "Those who charge Allah with false and malicious misrepresentation shall fare ill; they shall go farther and fare worse

[70] Possessions here and all that affords pleasure shall not be enjoyed for long; life here is a scene of evanescent and fleeting glory. Then back to us they return and there and then shall We afflict them with the torment laid upon the damned who thrived on denying Allah and on disobeying His commands

[71] Narrate to them O Muhammad the story of Nuh (Noah); it might bring them to their senses. He said to his people: "My people, if you feel that my abode among you and my constant reminding you of Allah's message and of your duty to Him are annoying you and exhausting your patience, in Allah I trust and no one can stop me from doing my duty to Him. Therefore, get together with your predominant partners whom you claim to have authority over you besides Allah and decide on a course of action not objectively doubtful and fulfill it against me and give me no respite

[72] And if you counsel deaf and disregard Allah's commands, I do not charge you a price for imparting to you Allah's revelations and disclosures, wisdom and practical divinity. My reward rests at the hands of Allah and I have been commanded to be among those who conform to Islam

[73] Yet they charged him with falsehood, and by consequence We rescued him by putting him together with those who fell in line with him on board ship -The Ark- and made them the successors. We drowned those who denied Our divine Message and signs. Now look to see what was the fate of those who were warned of impending danger and misfortune and they refused to pay heed

[74] In succession, We sent Messengers, each carrying a divine message to his people. They presented them with enough signs to guide them out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment. But they would not give credence to what they had rejected aforetime. Thus do We deafen the hearts' ears of those whose thoughts thrive on disobedience and transgression

[75] Subsequently We sent Mussa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) to Pharaoh and his people to present them with Our divine message imparting intellectual enlightenment and illumination. But they turned indignant and displayed inordinate self-esteem and confirmed themselves in prepensed malice and were a people steeped in crime

[76] They labelled the divine truth presented to them through Our Messenger Mussa necromancy displayed by a necromancer capable indeed of skilled sorcery

[77] Do you people" said Mussa, "Call the truth presented to you, sorcery! Is this sorcery! But indeed, never shall the sorcerer be able to withstand the truth

[78] They said to Mussa: "Did you come to us to dissuade us to disregard our fathers' system of faith and worship in order to be the distinguished above all others and the exalted in rank and station in the land! Never. Notwithstanding that we do not believe you nor do we give credence to your message

[79] There and then said Pharaoh to his commanders: "Fetch me every necromancer who is skilled in magic

[80] When all the skilled sorcerers assembled themselves unto Pharaoh. Mussa said to them: "Throw forth what you have up your sleeves

[81] And when they cast loose their devices, Mussa said to them: "What you have just displayed is simply an illusion which shall be extinguished by Providence. Allah does not make the work of the mischievous answer its purpose

[82] By His words does Allah assert the truth, even though it is hateful to the wicked

[83] The people of pharaoh, knew Mussa to be in the right. Nonetheless, only a few of them gave credence to the message through fear of Pharaoh and of the Pharonic nobility lest they should persecute them. Pharaoh was indeed an unmerciful tyrannical ruler in the land, who strayed beyond just limits, and in every manner and degree was he flagrantly excessive

[84] Then, Mussa said to his people: My people; if you have really accepted Allah and conformed to His will then in Him you must trust if indeed you have conformed to Islam

[85] There, they said: "In Allah we trust". and they expressed their thoughts in the invocatory prayer, thus: "O Allah our Creator, uphold us and forsake us not, lest we should come to the wrong-headed's lure and be lured into their snare and suffer persecution

[86] And deliver us through Your mercy from the infidels who are wrongful of actions

[87] There, We inspired Mussa and his brother Harun to provide their people with dwellings in the land of Egypt, and We said to them: "Make of your homes oratories representing a Qibla (Kibl)

[88] Mussa prayed, thus: "O Allah, our Creator ", he said, "You have graced Pharaoh and the Pharonic nobility with material grandeur of impressive character and You gave them riches and abundance of valuable possessions which induced them to stray from Your path of righteousness" "O Allah, our Creator, reduce their riches to insignificance and deafen their hearts' ears to the end that they do not recognize You until they have apprehended by sight the torment laid upon the damned

[89] And there, Allah said: "The prayer petitioned by you and your brother O Mussa has been granted; you just keep to the path of righteousness and do not follow the path of those who are lacking intellectual acquaintance with the facts

[90] We led Bani Isra‘il (the Children of Israel) across the sea whereupon Pharaoh and his troops pursued them with the intention of persecuting them and unjustly and wrongfully torturing them. Such intention had prevailed until the moment when the sea- water overwhelmed them in abundance and Pharaoh realized that he was drowning. There and then he uttered his pining regrets and vain repentances and said: " Now do I realize that there is no Ilah but Him Who has been recognized by Bani Isra‘il and I submit to join those who have conformed to Islam

[91] Now", said Allah that you are besieged by horror and caught in the jaws of death, you are willing to submit when as yet you have withheld obedience and refused to conform to My will and you were a byword for wickedness arid infirmity of purpose

[92] Today", Allah added, "We deliver only your corpse so as to serve as a deterrent to your successors and to be a sign betokening Allah's Omnipotence and Authority, albeit many among people are indeed heedless of Our signs

[93] We confirmed Bani Isra‘il and provided them with good and satisfying dwellings and provisioned them with the good and wholesome victuals. Yet they only set themselves at variance after they had received divine knowledge illumination and enlightenment. But Allah shall judge between them in Day of Judgement on the strained points upon which the whole unreasoning turns

[94] If you O Muhammad or any of your followers are in doubt of what has been inspired to you, then you may ask those who have been reading and perusing the Book before you and interpreting it in thought with understanding of what it meant and not what it merely implied. Therefore, do not let their assertion of what is false make you doubtful and anxious

[95] Nor should you or anyone of those who followed you be among those who deny Allah's revelations and signs lest you be a part of those who were born to be losers

[96] Indeed those whose thoughts thrived on disobedience have verified Allah's divine preordination declared in words thus: "These were born to it; they shall not conform to Allah's will nor to His system of faith and worship

[97] They just would not believe even if they be presented with every supernatural sign clearly betokening Allah's Omnipotence and Authority until they meet face to face with the torment Allah lays upon the damned

[98] Wherefore Had any town conformed to Allah's will, inducing the people to piety profiting by it, but they did not, except the people of Yunus who no sooner did they conform to Allah's will than they were the recipients of His mercy. We cancelled their misfortunes which drew upon them worldly disgrace and shame and had greatly injured their name. And We granted them comfort and enjoyment and all that advantaged them of Allah's blessings in life, up to a predetermined point of time

[99] Had Allah willed O Muhammad, He would have induced all people domiciled on earth to conform to His will and to His system of faith and worship. Would you then twist peoples' opinions into accordance with your party and force them to conform to Islam

[100] No soul yields itself servant to Allah but by His leave, and Allah lays the charge to the doors of those who have come within the measure of His wrath. They are characterized with dullness of comprehension

[101] Say to them -the infidels-: "Look attentively and contemplate mentally and take note of all that is in the heavens and on earth, all indicating an Omnipotent unique Maker! But what shall it advantage a man and what good do the signs and the warnings do to a people who simply refuse to recognize Allah and heed Him

[102] Do they expect but the burdensome and troublesome days, the like of those eventful days exhaustive to the minds of their predecessors! Say to them: " You just await the justice prepared above in heaven's realm. I will await it also

[103] There and then will We deliver from peril Our Messengers together with those who accepted them and recognized their missions. Thus it is a duty incumbent on us to save those who conformed to Our will and to Our system of faith and worship

[104] Say to them: "O you people, if you are in doubt of my religion the divinely approved system of faith and worship, you had better realize that I do not conform to Worshipping those whom you worship besides Allah, but I do adore with appropriate acts and rites the only Ilah, the Creator, Who alone controls your destiny and disembodies your souls". " And I have been commanded to be among those who have recognized Him with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[105] Set your face and rest your eyes sincerely upon Allah and your heart on religion with sincere feelings and actions, and never be one of these who incorporate with Allah other deities

[106] Nor invoke besides Allah what shall not profit you nor harm you, for if you do, you shall then be one of those who are wrongful of actions

[107] You must realize that should Allah befall you with a misfortune or wed you to a calamity, no one shall be able to cancel it but Him. And if He mercifully befalls you with a good fortune, no one can obstruct His bounty with which He graces whom He will among His servants, and He is Ghafurun (Forgiving), and Rahimun (Merciful)

[108] Say to them Muhammad: "O you people, now has the truth come to you from Allah, your Creator, and he who chooses to follow the path of righteousness shall only profit his own soul, and he who chooses to stray and loses himself in the maze of error shall only harm his own soul, and I am not here to watch over your innocence and folly

[109] And adhere O Muhammad to all that is inspired to you and exercise patience until Allah pronounces His judgement, for He is It Who gives the law whereas all other judges just interpret it

[1] (Alef), L. (Lam), R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these, letters introductory from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, cannot be emulated

[2] It directs the Messenger to instruct people thus: "Never worship you people, anyone but Allah. I am delegated by Him to warn you and give you a cautionary advice regarding your system of faith and to announce to you joyful tidings if you should turn to Allah and lift to Him your inward sight

[3] And you had better invoke Allah, your Creator, for forgiveness and in lowliest plight do stand to Him repentant of the way you conduct yourselves in life. He shall make you enjoy good things in life up to a predetermined point of time". "He shall bestow on every one of merit, here below, His divine favour that is commensurate with his merits and shall His grace abound in those entitled to it Hereafter" And should they turn a deaf ear, then say to them: "I only fear for you the punishment which shall be laid upon the damned on an unbearably Momentous Day

[4] To Allah shall all of you return, and He is indeed Qadirun (Omnipotent) over all things

[5] They -the infidels- bend their chests to hide, as it were, their thoughts and feelings from Allah! Do they not realize that even when they clothe themselves taking to their beds and lurk themselves enshrouded in the Veil of night, that Allah does know all that their bosoms store of thoughts and feelings, and all that they suggest secretly to their minds, He is well acquainted with all that they utter loudly and with what they whisper below their breath! Indeed Allah is 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all private thoughts and feelings riposted in the breasts

[6] There is not one single creature domiciled on earth but derives its sustenance from Allah Who knows its settled habitation and the duration of its life span. He also knows the site of its future interment and when it shall be reclaimed for Judgement Hereafter. All such events are recorded in a Book manifest of precision

[7] He is it who created the heavens and the earth and brought them into existence in six days* determined by His own unit of time and proclaimed in His calendar; His Throne of supremacy and dominion and of grace and mercy was then set over the water** He created the universe and you people as a part of it in Order to determine which of you performs the better deed and whether his deeds agree with his words and whether his work is imprinted with wisdom and piety! Yet when you O Muhammad say to them that they shall rise again at the Last Day after they had been dead and buried, the infidels shall say: " This is nothing but sheer sorcery assumed by him

[8] And if We in all manner of wisdom delay their retributive punishment to a determined point of time giving them a chance to come-back to their senses, they shall say: "What keeps it back!" Indeed the Day the punishment comes about and falls to their lot, no expedient shall ever avert it, and on all sides shall they be beset by the same material and immaterial things they turned in to ridicule

[9] And if We should extend to man Our mercy and make him taste Our benediction then We justly decide to withhold it, he nurses despair forgetting the other advantages he enjoys and looks for the how, the why and the wherefore and becomes sour and in bitterness he turns his, worst side outwards

[10] And if We reverse the action and grace him with a merited or an unmerited favour following a touch of misfortune, he says: "Now I have been freed of misfortunes", and he rejoices beyond a common joy and he boasts the event and exalts himself unduly and displays inordinate self-esteem

[11] Such an attitude is never adopted by those who exercise patience and imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety. Such persons are the recipients of Allah's mercy and forgiveness and deserve a great reward

[12] You Muhammad seem inclined to omit the recital of a part of what is revealed to you, the part that depresses your spirits and oppresses your thoughts and feelings because it is not to the infidel's liking. You think that by so doing, Allah's message of truth would be accepted more readily and the infidels shall not use the usual formula of insolence and say: "If only a treasure were sent down to him from heaven or an angel to companion him, we may be induced to recognize his mission". You must realize that you are only a spectacle and a warning, and Allah is the Tutelary Guardian of the whole and of all in all

[13] Or do they say: "He has forged it" the Quran! Say to them: "You people are magniloquent; your art of speaking and writing is irresistibly impressive; wherefore do produce ten forged Surahs, each bearing reference to a different aspect of the same thought and call on those besides Allah whom you can possibly engage to venture upon this undertaking if indeed you are declaring the truth

[14] And if they do not respond and such an undertaking they fail to fulfill, then you people must realize that the Quran has indeed originated from Allah and revealed by His Authority, and there is no Ilah but He. Therefore, are you unbelievers going to conform to Islam if indeed you are seeking the truth

[15] Those who are concerned only with the interests and pleasures of this life and its temporal and mundane things may rest assured that We will apportion to them in full what is due to them and make them reap the fruits accruing from their worldly deeds and they shall not be wronged

[16] But such persons are those who shall be denied Allah's mercy Hereafter, and Hell is where they make abode. Their hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness, and vain indeed and useless, unprofitable and unavailing shall be all their worldly deeds

[17] Do they compare!: the esteemed virtuous by the whole and his inmost thoughts and innermost being are flood lit with divine enlightenment and witnessed by the Quran featuring Providence as the guide, and before the Quran by the Book of Mussa (Moses) feathering Allah's mercy on the Children of Israel and the spirit of truth guiding into all truth

[18] And who is more wrongful of actions than he who lit relates to Allah falsehood! These and their like shall assemble themselves unto Allah, their Creator, in Day of Judgement and there and then be reprimanded by the witnesses- the angels, the Messengers and the men of piety saying: "These are they who related to Allah, their Creator, all they could devise of falsehood; wherefore the curse of Allah be on those who were wrongful of actions

[19] Who stood in the way to prevent Allah's spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth, making it their aim to pervert the truth and crook the path of righteousness to their own ends, and never did they acknowledge the truth of the Hereafter

[20] These infidels and such persons are not in a position ever to overpower Allah nor escape-His retributive punishment. Nor do they have besides Him tutelary protectors to defend them. Their punishment shall be doubled in the train of their obstinacy against divine laws, their adherence to their opinions with their usual struggle to assert falsehood and obstruct the way to Allah's path of righteousness and of their persistence in closing their hearts' ears and their minds' eyes to Allah's discourse

[21] These are they who have lost their own souls and have been forsaken and renounced by those whom they presumed to share with Allah His divine nature, who failed their expectation

[22] It is no wonder shall they be great losers Hereafter

[23] Indeed, those who acknowledged Allah and His Messengers with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety, and their innermost thoughts and being have been compliant with the will of Allah, their Creator, are they whom Allah shall richly gratify; they are the inmates of Paradise wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity

[24] The example of the two parties -those in favour of and those against Allah- stands similitude exact of the two partisans: the adherent to falsehood who is blind and dumb and the adherent to the truth who lifts to Allah his inward sight and opens his heart's ears to admonition. Are they equal for wisdom and integrity or do they deserve the same fate! Can you people not consider this matter and ponder My cause

[25] We sent Nuh to his People with a divine message imparting knowledge of some particular fact and imbued with some graceful and specific attribute, he said to them: "My people I stand manifest of authority delegated to me by Allah, the Creator, to give you a cautionary notice with regard to your system of faith and worship

[26] You must not worship but Allah, the Creator, Whom you should adore with appropriate acts and rites". "if you counsel deaf, then I fear for you an immense punishment on a Momentous Day

[27] But those of his people in whose hearts reigned vices, follies and falsehood said to him: "It is evident that you are no more than a mortal like the rest of us and we do not see that your cause has been espoused but by the abject among us who are deficient in sense and intelligence. Nor do we see that you people are merited with such an attribute distinguishing you or conferring on you an air of distinction; to the contrary we think you are liars

[28] Nuh said: "My people pause here and think, and think but this: What if Allah has enlightened my thoughts and my innermost being and imparted to me knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light and extended to me His mercy to which you are blind on account of lacking intellectual and spiritual light!" "Shall we", he added, "impose on you such spiritual enlightenment when you are prejudiced against it

[29] My people", he said: "I do not charge you a price for what I relate to you of Allah's divine message nor for the divine knowledge imparted to me. The reward for divine service rests only in the hands of Allah". "Nor can I dismiss those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand or send them away on account of your despicable opinion of them or of viewing them with contempt. They shall meet with Allah, their Creator. in Day of Judgment when I shall have much to answer for". "But then I can see that you people are indeed in want of intellect and spiritual knowledge

[30] Can you people tell me", he added, "who shall be able to defend me from Allah and avert His punishment if I dare to dismiss them !" "Can you not reflect

[31] I do not claim to be in possession of the treasuries of Allah, nor do I indulge in prophecy or claim to foretell future events or realize the unseen nor do I say to you I am an angel, or say to you that those whom you view with contempt shall be denied Allah's blessings. Allah knows best their innermost thoughts and feelings". "If I commit myself to such a line of conduct, then I am indeed wrongful of actions

[32] But they said to him: "O Nuh; you have argued to persuade us of your way you are resolved on and to steer our course of action. In fact, much have you argued. Bring down the promised retributive punishment if you are indeed declaring the truth

[33] He said to them: "But it is Allah Who causes His punishment to alight upon you if He will, frand never shall you be able to overpower Him nor escape His punishment

[34] Nor shall my admonition profit you little or much even if I do my best if Allah should decide to lead you in the wrong in the- train of your ill-natured hearts which reflect the morbidity inherent in your innermost being. He is your Creator, and back to Him shall all of you inevitably return

[35] Or do they* say about you Muhammad "He has invented a false story and forged a long tale!" Say to them: "If I have wittingly forged what I am relating to you to make it seem divine, then I am responsible for my falsehood which will have become a crime, and I am innocent of all your wrong actions which render you criminal in Allah's sight

[36] Nuh was inspired by divine influence that: "No more of your people besides those who have already acknowledged the truth of your mission shall conform to Allah's will, therefore, do not be grieved at heart for what their minds and souls have impelled them to do

[37] Build the Ark under Our supervision and according to Our inspired divine instructions. and do not plead with Me for those who are wrongful of actions they are destined to drown

[38] As he was building the Ark he was laughed at, as often as some of those in whose hearts reigned vices and follies went by, they laughed him to scorn. But he said to them: "If you consider us now the laughing-stock, soon enough shall you be the object of laughter and our mouth shall be filled with laughter as yours was

[39] In the end you shall know who is destined to receive the blow that put him to shame and incenses him with multiplied humiliations, and makes him suffer the ever-lasting punishment

[40] When Our command came to pass and the water bubbled up, rose in billows and erupted through the earth's surface inundating the land, We said to him: Carry with you on board ship a pair -a male and a female- of every kind or living creature (or possibly two pairs of each species) together with your family, except those against whom Allah has already pledged His word, and carry those who acknowledged the truth of your mission, they were but some few

[41] Nuh said to those of his people whom he was about to carry: " Go on board ship and rest assured of Allah's mercy. In the Name of Allah shall be its free and secure floatation and when it comes to anchor; Allah, my Creator, is indeed Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun (Merciful)

[42] The Ark sailed through waves rising in billows and running mountains high. There and then did Nuh call upon his son who was in isolation, as it were, and said to him: "My son come with us on board ship and do not stay behind with the infidels who disobeyed Allah

[43] I will have recourse" said the son, "to a mountain for shelter. It shall protect me from the overflowing water". "My son" ,said Nuh, "today and under the circumstances neither a mountain nor anything else shall serve as an expedient availing you against Allah's command except him to whom Allah extends His mercy". There, the abundant flow of water, rising in billows, intervened between them, and the son was among those destined to drown

[44] There and then was a divine command pronounced to the weather -beaten earth, thus: "Engulf O earth your water and cease O heaven your rainfall", and the water subsided and the die was cast and the Ark rested securely upon Mount Judy -Gudy-*. and then it was said: "Away with those wrongful of actions

[45] There and then did Nuh pray saying: "O Allah, nay Creator, my son is an integral part of my family and Your promise is the truth personified; it is You Who give the law whereas all other judges just interpret it

[46] He is not a part of your family", said Allah; piety was not an, attribute of your son. Your plea on behalf of your son is not an act of wisdom and piety, therefore, do not invoke Me for something whose consequence you do not know. I exhort you not to be one of those in want of intellect and spiritual knowledge

[47] Nuh said: "O Allah, my Creator, I commit myself to You counter the consequence accruing from an invocatory prayer with a result I do not know; and unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I will inevitably be one of those born to be losers

[48] He was told: "Disembark O Nuh and go downhill with peace of mind, soul and conscience proceeding from us and with blessings upon you and those with you and upon their descendants who conform to Our will and upon succeeding generations; some We shall bless and others shall We put to the torment laid upon the damned

[49] This true historic account which We relate to you O Muhammad is a narrative of facts and events belonging to the unseen and the unknown. Neither you nor your people knew it before. Therefore, be patient and do realize that the good and happy outcome shall fall to those entertaining the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[50] Again, We sent to the people of 'Ad (the 'Adites), their brother, the Messenger Hud, who said to them: "O my people, worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; no Ilah have you but He. You are indeed a people who forge lies against Allah and criminally relate to Him falsehood

[51] My people", he added, "I do not charge you a price for the divine message I relate to you; the reward for divine service is incumbent on Him Who created me and brought me into being. can you not reflect

[52] My people", he added, "invoke Allah's forgiveness and in lowliest plight stand to Him repentant of the way you conduct yourselves in life. He shall pour down upon you rain and blessings bringing you into a people of condition". "He shall add to your strength to make you stronger in influence and authority, in security of position and in moral power for endurance and effort, in will, purpose and character , in actions and attributes, that you may have great controlling power over things by reason of the possession of authority, resources and inherent qualities. Do not counsel deaf nor lose yourselves in a maze, precipitating your crime

[53] Nonetheless, they said to him: "You never, O Hud, presented to us a clear material evidence evincing your wisdom and the truth of your mission, nor shall we forsake our gods at your word and act accordingly, nor do we give credence to your message

[54] We can only say", they added, "that some of our gods must have affected you physically with an inlay touch of demonic illusions". But Hud said to them: "Allah is my witness and so are you that I am absolutely innocent of your idolatry and of those whom you incorporate with Him

[55] I am innocent Also, of all those whom you invoke besides Allah", wherefore I defy you all, you and your gods, to plot and scheme against me and to do all you can and give me no respite

[56] In Allah, my creator and your Creator, do I trust; there is not an animate or inanimate being but He grasps by the forelock; He is the controlling power over the whole and all in all". "Indeed, Allah, my Creator, stands manifest of Justice and uniqueness of righteousness

[57] Should they counsel deaf", said Allah, then say to them: "I have conveyed to you, my people, the divine message entrusted to me, and you must realize that Allah is indeed capable of replacing you by others and never can you harm Him nor frustrate". "Allah, my Creator, is indeed Vigilant and He keeps a vigilant eye upon the whole and upon all in all

[58] When Our command came to pass, We rescued Hud together with those who gave credence to his Mission and acknowledged Allah's message, an act of mercy vouchsafed by us to save them from a condign punishment

[59] These were the people of 'Ad -the 'Adites- who just would not bow their hearts' ears to the divine revelations nor their minds' eyes to His signs betokening His Omnipotence and Authority, and they adhered to the same evil line of conduct espoused by every stubborn who plays the tyrant

[60] By consequence, they were followed by a curse from Allah all their life, and it shall be worse Hereafter- Indeed, the 'Adites had disobeyed Allah, their Creator, and their hearts dared rise defiant against Him wherefore away from existence were put the 'Adites, the people of Hud

[61] We sent also to the people of Thamud -The Thamudites- their brother the Messenger Saleh, who said to them: "O my people worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; You have no Ilah but Him. He raised you from the earth and made it the world you live on. Therefore, invoke His forgiveness and in lowliest plight stand repentant to Him of the way you conduct yourselves in life. Allah, my Creator, is indeed in the immediate proximity of the whole and of all in all and He responds to invocation

[62] But they said to him: "O Saleh, you have been thus far the hope that sprang eternal in our breasts, but we seem to be staking our very future on some dark hope. Do you want us to renounce the system of faith and worship adopted by our fathers! Indeed we question the validity of what you induce us to do and we think it excites suspicion

[63] There did Saleh say: " My people, pause here and think and think but this: what if Allah has enlightened my thoughts and my innermost being and imparted to me knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light and extended His mercy to me! Then, how can I neglect the duty of relating His message to the people when it has been entrusted to me. This shall be disobedience". "if I am to disobey Allah, who then can save me from His punishment!" "You people are simply trying to lead me into error and make me lose my way and incur privation of Allah's mercy

[64] My people", he added, "this is the she -camel of Allah, representing a distinct sign symbolic of the truth of my mission. Let her graze upon the grass- land of Allah and do not lay hands on her nor meddle with her to harm, her, lest you would be overtaken by a dire punishment before long

[65] Thus still they disabled her by cutting her hamstring muscles, and there did Saleh say to them: "You have only three days to lust after your sinful system of faith and worship and after the way you conduct yourselves in life. This, is indeed, an irrevocable promise not proving untrue

[66] When Our command came to pass, We rescued Saleh and those who gave credence to his mission and acknowledged Allah's message, an act of mercy vouchsafed by us to save them from the shame and the multiplied humiliations incurred on that Momentous Day. Allah, your Creator is indeed AL-Qawiy(the Omnipotent) and AL- Aziz Who prevails against the whole and all in all

[67] Direful was the one cry from heaven's realm, it stirred up a merciless blast which overtook the wrongful of actions. There, they were reduced to a useless form laying prostrate and dead under the ruins of their demolished homes

[68] Devastating was the blast and irretrievable was the disaster that they -the Thamudites- looked as if they never dwelt nor flourished whereat they perished. Indeed, the Thamudites had refused to acknowledge Allah, their Creator, and their hearts dared rise defiant against Him, wherefore away from existence were put the Thamudites

[69] For once did Our Messengers -disguised angels- pay a visit to Ibrahim(Abraham) and intimate to him the good news -of begetting a son-. They greeted him with the expression of good will "Peace" which he returned to assure them they were welcomed. Thereafter he placed before them a generous meal of a fatted roasted calf

[70] But when he noticed that they did not stretch out their hands to eat, back he recoiled apprehensive and pervaded with fear. They consoled him and in good will they said to him: "Do not be afraid; we have been sent to those sinful people of Lut(Lot)

[71] His wife, standing in dose proximity, overheard what was said and -laughed in her skepticism- or -in her joy-, and there, We announced to her the good news of begetting a son, Ishaq (Isaa)

[72] There and then she exclaimed: "Dear me, shall I bear and give birth to a child in my age and my husband is an aged man! This is indeed exceptional to a degree that excites astonishment

[73] Do you marvel" "said the Messengers, at the divine command proceeding from Allah! Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you and may all grace be made to abound in you people of the house of Prophethood." Allah is indeed worthy of all praise. He is the final cause of creation and the highest aim of intelligent creatures

[74] Then when Ibrahim divested his robe of fear and his mind was returned to its settled- calmness and was joyful of the good news, he began to show thought and consideration for the people of Lut, pleading with us on their behalf

[75] Forbearance was indeed an attribute of Ibrahim who constantly implored Allah with touching entreaties and lifted to Him his inward sight

[76] But he was told: " Do not envelop yourself. Ibrahim within the folds of a matter already been decided by Allah; they are destined to suffer a condign punishment no expedient can avert

[77] When Our Messengers -disguised as youths- went to Lut, he felt grieved at heart -on account of his expectation- that his perverse people would act sinfully in such a circumstance and he just did not know what to do. Expressing his thoughts in words, he said: "This is indeed a distressful day

[78] His people went to him rushing and intending to precipitate the indecent and immoral act which they had long been practicing before. Lut, having been rushed in a sea of misery, said to them: "These are my daughters, if you wish to join them in wedlock! This will be virtuous and you will be acting with moral righteousness and conformity with inherent, natural, moral and religious laws." "Fear Allah" he said, "and shame me not before my noble guests; is there no one among you characterized by good sense and prudence

[79] Thus still they said to him: "You know very well we do not need your daughters nor do we have the right to claim them; you know quite well what we want

[80] Not knowing what was to happen, Lut said: "If only I could subdue you at your peril or have a powerful support to lean on

[81] There and then declared the messengers their identity and said to Lut: "we are Allah's Messengers, do not grieve at heart, they cannot touch you nor can they harm you; you just leave town together with your family at the dead hours of the night and make sure that none of you turns to look back in the direction from which you are going, but not your wife who is destined to suffer the same fate decreed for the others, and the morning is their zero hour, Is the morning not near upon

[82] When Our command came to pass, We turned those cities - Sodom and Gomorrah- upside down and rained them with fire and successive brimstones as hard as baked clay

[83] A punishment especially prepared in heaven's realm and it is not far from the wrongful of actions whom it marks for its own

[84] We sent to the Midianites their brother, the Messenger Shuaib, who said to them: "My people: worship Allah and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites; no Ilah have you but He. You must not fraudulently scant the measure and the weight; I see that you are a people of condition and I do fear for you the punishment coming into play on a Momentous Day when all the guilty be surrounded and there is no escape

[85] My people", he added, "I advise you to dispense the measure and the weight equitably to the full and not to scant peoples' goods and chattels, chattels personal and chattels real and chattels interest nor devalue what is valuable be it goods or possessions or an article of worth nor create discord or make mischief on earth

[86] The legitimate profits you people gain lawfully according with piety and blessed by Allah are but an advantage to your cause if indeed your hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues". But you must remember, I am not here to watch over your innocence and folly

[87] Thus still they said to him: "Do your prayers, O Shuaib, and system of faith enjoin you to induce us to renounce Our father's system of faith and worship or that we must not use our money at will nor do with it what we will!". But we have always thought you were AL-Halim (the forbearing) and AL-Rashid (a man of min)

[88] There did Shuaib say to them: "My people, pause here and think but this: what if Allah has enlightened my thoughts and my innermost being and imparted to me knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light and made His grace abound in me!" "I want you to realize", he added, "that I do not move you to this divine course of action to advantage myself behind your backs of your dishonest system of trading and its ill-gotten gains. My aim is only reform I wish to brew the best I can until the pious principle governs your thoughts and you abandon wrong - doing. My successful attainment of the desired end rests in the hands of Allah; in Him I trust and to Him I lift my inward sight

[89] My people", he said: "do not let my diversity of opinion and purpose incite you to sink deeper under the vexations of your minds lest you should be destined to suffer the same fate suffered by the people of Nuh or the people of Hud or the people of Saleh nor are the people of Lut far off from you chronologically, chronographically nor geographically

[90] And invoke Allah, your Creator, for forgiveness and in lowliest plight stand to Him repentant of the way you conduct yourselves in life. Allah, my Creator, is indeed Rahimun and Wadud (the Merciful) Who comforts whom He sees in distress

[91] Thus still they said to him: "We can hardly, O Shuaib, grasp with the mind the comprehension you have of Allah, nor do we understand much of your discourse". " In fact we do see that among us, you are but a man wanting in strength and not at all influential, and were it not for your family, we would have pelted you with stones and you are not very strong to prevail against us

[92] My people ", said Shuaib, "is my family more esteemed in your sight than Allah Whom you have cast behind your backs and consigned to oblivion ! Indeed, Allah, my Creator, is 'Alimun (Omniscient), of all that your minds and souls impel you to do

[93] Shuaib continued: "My people, you may pursue what your minds and souls impel you to do, but I am steering my course of action by guiding indications set by Providence Who guides to all truth". "And you shall soon come to know who shall be befallen with a humiliating punishment and who it is that lies and intentionally asserts falsehood. You just be on the watch for the justice prepared above in heaven's realm and I will also be on the watch

[94] When Our commend came to pass, We rescued Shuaib together with those who gave credence to his mission and acknowledged Allah's message, an act of mercy vouchsafed by us to whom We bless. And how direful was the one cry* from heaven's realm stirring up a merciless blast which overtook the wrongful of actions. They were reduced to a useless form and were laid prostrate and dead under the ruins of their demolished homes

[95] Devastating was the blast and irretrievable was the disaster that they -the Madianites- looked as if they never dwelt nor flourished whereat they perished, wherefore away from existence were put the Madianites, just as the Thamudites were swept away

[96] We sent Mussa(Moses) well equipped with signs serving to demonstrate delegated divine power and Authority

[97] We sent him to Pharaoh and his people, but they rejected his principles which formed the basis of a chain of reasoning and followed those of Pharaoh whose principles were unprincipled

[98] And as he -Pharaoh- lead his people in life below to the maze of error, he shall lead them like cattle to Hell Hereafter; evil indeed is the place they are led to

[99] In consequence, they were followed by a curse from Allah all their life, a curse that shall be worse Hereafter. And evil indeed are the maledictions poured upon those who have come in life within the measure of Allah's wrath, a combination that is emblematic of a malignant fate

[100] Such a historic account of the towns is a narrative of facts and events We relate to you O Muhammad; some of them are still standing -in evidence- and others have been mowed down

[101] Never did Allah do injustice to them nor did We deprive them wrongfully of anything, but it was they who imprudently wronged themselves. Nor did their gods they invoked besides Him avail them anything nor did they afford them help when the command of Allah, your Creator, came to pass. To the contrary, they added to their ruin and incurred their privation of Allah's mercy

[102] Thus much is the punishment of Allah, your Creator, when He overtakes the towns whose inhabitants are wrongful of actions and grow daily more and more wicked. The divine act of overthrowing the wicked is indeed painful and terrifying

[103] Indeed, the narrative of these events represents convincing divine evidence of Allah's Omnipotence and Authority to those who dread the inevitable punishment in Day of Judgement, the Day when the whole shall assemble themselves unto Allah and be witnesses of their own past doings

[104] The Day We delay but to a predetermined point of time

[105] And when it -this Day-comes, trembling shall be so great that no one can utter a word but at Allah's command. Some sinking in a sea of misery and some rejoicing beyond a common joy

[106] As for those sorely distressed, the intended end of their journey is Hell where they make abode wherein they pant, emitting with difficulty a deep breath and drawing with more difficulty a long breath, heaving sighs and giving vent sobs. In fact none will have ever brayed so pitifully

[107] They shall remain within as long as the heavens and the earth last except as Allah wills; Allah, your Creator, does what He will

[108] But those whom Allah has graced, shall make abode in Paradise wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity that lasts pari passu with the duration of the heavens and the earth except as Allah wills, a divine authoritative bestowal that is continual and unceasing

[109] Therefore, do not doubt -O Muhammad- the evil outcome of the system of faith and worship these people the -idolaters- follow. They follow but the same system their fathers have adopted before. We will apportion to them their share of punishment commensurate with their evil deeds, a punishment which shall neither be diminished nor be abated

[110] Perhaps Allah will not subject them to annihilation here below on account of the Book -the Quran- which gives free circulation of divine enlightenment and information. The same course of action was adopted when We gave Mussa the Book - AL-Tawrah (the Torah)- and his people were disputant about it, and had it not been for Allah's word proclaimed beforehand to put punishment in respite, their Hereafter would have been planted in the now. Those people were as suspicious of AL- Tawrah, as your people -O Muhammad- are of the Quran

[111] Nonetheless, both those and these and all and each shall Allah, your- Creator, requite with what is commensurate with their deeds; He is 'Alimun (Omniscient) indeed of all that their minds and souls impel them to do

[112] Therefore, you Just tread -O Muhammad- together with those who turned to Allah the path of life and action in the manner ordained and lift to Him your inward sight the best you can so as to be men of singular piety, righteousness and virtue. But do not carry things to excess nor transgress. He is Bassirun (Omnipresent) and He sees all that your minds and souls impel you to do

[113] Nor should your hearts be inclined to follow the wrongful of actions lest you come to be fuel for the Fire, and besides Allah you just have no tutelary protectors nor shall you be afforded the needed help

[114] Observe your act of worship at both ends of the day -the early morning and the close of the day- and at the early hours of the night -following sunset and before bed time- and keep in mind that pious and virtuous deeds cancel evil deeds. This is simply a reminder for those who keep Allah in mind and lift to Him their inward sight

[115] In patience possess you people your souls, therefore, be patient and remember that Allah does not annul, withhold or withdraw the fruit people are entitled to reap from deeds of wisdom and piety

[116] If only there had been among the preceding generations a class of persons virtuous, strong and influential enough to warn people against corruption and to forbid mischief on earth and prohibit perversion as did the few of them whom We saved. But the wrongful of actions pursued pleasure, and lust after the mundane vanity they were entangled with, and were steeped in crime

[117] Nor would Allah, your Creator, unjustly destroy the towns when their inhabitants are brewing reform and the fundamental truth governs their thoughts

[118] And had Allah, your Creator, willed, He would have made mankind one single nation conforming to one religion. Nonetheless, their innate incongruity would have induced them to be thus still at variance

[119] But not those whom Allah has graced with His mercy. In this Manner of freedom of choice and of thinking did He bring mankind into being. Thus has the word of Allah, your Creator, answered the purpose and complied with His decree, thus: "I will fill Hell with the Jinn together with mankind who were wrongful of actions, guilty of defiant impiety and whose lawless desires were seas scorning all bounds

[120] We relate to you O Muhammad these various narratives of the Messengers who were sent before you, representing their determined effort under difficulties to accomplish the necessary end. We narrate them to you to confirm your heart, do it good and strengthen it in purpose and action. In the recital of these facts, you shall find O Muhammad narratives with grace divine imbued, imparting the spirit of truth guiding into all truth , exhorting and reminding those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[121] Say O Muhammad to those infidels who deny Allah: "You may pursue what your minds and souls impel you to do, but we are steering our course of action by guiding principles set by Providence Who guides into all truth

[122] And await the justice prepared above in heaven's realm; we will await it also

[123] To Allah, alone, belongs the knowledge of all that is unknown, invisible and unseen in the heavens and the earth, and to Him, the ultimate Authority are committed and submitted all matters and all affairs for consideration, decision and execution here and Hereafter. Therefore, worship Him and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites and put your trust in Him; He is never oblivious of all that you do

[1] (Alef), L. (Lam), R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these letters introductory front the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, cannot be emulated. These are divinely discoursed verses flowing with the precision and grace that are symbolic of the Book -the Quran- the spirit of truth that guides into all truth

[2] it is a Book We have revealed in Arabic literary form, that you people may hopefully comprehend its inimitability and employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions

[3] Bearing upon your present circumstances, We relate to you O Muhammad a most engaging story thought and felt in superlatives. It constitutes an integral part of the Quran We reveal to you, notwithstanding that before it you were unmindful of divine knowledge, true events and illumination and enlightenment

[4] For once Yusuf said to his father -Ya'qub (Jacob)- "O my father, a vividly descriptive image was presented to my mind in my sleep portraying eleven planets, the sun and the moon bowing to the ground in reverence and obeisance to me

[5] His father expressed his thoughts in words with grace divine imbued; he said to him: "My son, relate not your vision to your brothers -half brothers- lest they plot against you and entice you into danger: actuated by envy, they may fall as puppets in the hands of AL-Shaytan (Satan) who is indeed an avowed enemy to man

[6] Thus", he continued, "will Allah, your Creator, choose you and impart to you the knowledge of interpreting visions and sense impressions in sleep and what they prefigure of future events, He complements his bounty and munificence to you and to the progeny of Ya'qub as much as He made all grace abound in your grandfathers Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ishaq (Isaac) before. Allah, your Creator is indeed 'Alimun (Omniscient) and Hakimun (Wise)

[7] Indeed, there have been in the story of Yusuf and his brothers an instructive occurrence, an example, a warning and a lesson for those who are seeking the world and its pursuits as well as for those who are in search of the truth and spiritual knowledge

[8] Conspiring against him, the brothers said: "Yusuf and his brother -full brother, Benjamin- are indeed nearer to our father's heart and closer to his affection than we are, our father stands indeed manifest of error; he manifests forth a straying mind

[9] They settled the question and pronounced judgment: "Remove Yusuf out of the way" they said, "either by death or by taking him away to some distant land, and thereafter you stand in lowliest plight repentant to Allah of your evil deed and characterize yourselves with righteous living

[10] But one of them said: "Do not kill Yusuf, for such an act shall be a grave error that threatens a fatal result; throw him down the well where he would be out of sight, and there, he will be picked up by some company of merchants, travellers or others, that is if you have indeed decided to get rid of him

[11] And so, they asked their father: "Our father, why do you not trust us for the care of Yusuf! Our first wish in life is for his happiness and welfare

[12] Send him with us tomorrow", they said, "to enjoy himself, to eat and drink in a picnic fashion and to take part in a game affording him pleasure, and we will take care of him and see that he is not exposed to danger

[13] It grieves me at heart to part with him," said the father "especially when I have an uneasy sense of the probability of the boy being brutally assailed and devoured by a wolf at a moment when you are oblivious of him it

[14] They protested, thus: "If this be true"t, they said, "and the wolf were to devour him when we are a collective mass of men, then we will have incurred privation of attributes and it would be a lost sorrow to wail our fall

[15] And they took him and went away, and agreed among themselves, and were united in thought, to place him at the bottom of the well -said to have been dry-. There and then We inspired just confidence and peace of mind to him -Yusuf- and inspired him with the feeling, thus: "You shall one day inform them of the evil they had committed against you at a time when they fail to recognize you nor perceive ever they shall see you again

[16] And they came back home to their father in the evening weeping their fill

[17] They said to him: "O father, we went racing to compete with each other leaving Yusuf to take care of our things and there, standing alone, he was devoured by the wolf". "But you do not seem to believe us albeit we are telling the truth

[18] They brought back his garment stained with false blood. Their father said: "Indeed your minds and souls have enticed you to do something unpleasant and impelled you to feign this tale; in patience do I possess my soul and in Allah do I seek help to bear with composure what you have just described

[19] There came a caravan of merchants traveling to Egypt with merchandise. They sent on their water purveyor, the harbinger, who found a well; he let his bucket to draw water. But as he hauled up the bucket, he did not find water but a youth clinging to the rope and the bucket instead. There he announced with joy the good news of hauling up a youth, and they hid him in their merchandise, and Allah was fully aware of what they were doing

[20] They sold him to a slave-dealer for a small price amounting to a small number of silver coins, and they had no interest in him

[21] Being divinely gifted with the letter of credit nature has written upon his face honoured wherever presented, he was outbid in the slave market by a high court Egyptian official (AZIZ) who said to his wife: " Treat him kindly and with honour and respect to enjoy his stay; he may prove useful to us and helpful in effecting a purpose, or we may adopt him as a son." Thus did We establish him firmly in the land, wherefore We imparted to him the knowledge of interpreting visions and sense impressions in sleep and what they prefigure of future events. Allah prevails upon His edict which inevitably produces its intended effect and answers its purpose, but most people do not realize this fact

[22] Then when he –Yusuf- reached the stage of life wherein he had the ability for effective action and firmness of mind, character, will and purpose, We imparted to him wisdom and divine knowledge. For thus do We reward those who perfect their illustrious toils and turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence

[23] The lady of the house -wife of the high official- where he lived, tried to induce him to surrender his chastity; she closed the doors and said to him: "Come to me". But he said: "Allah forbid, He is my Creator; He has been kind to me, He delivered me from harm and gave me a good home and my master gave me a hearty welcome and a hospitable reception in his house; no, but never shall heaven prosper the wrongful of actions

[24] She had a passionate and libidinous desire of him, a desire she meant to bring to effect physically, and he had a desire of her, a desire that was psychical. It might have been physical, had he not felt Allah in his bosom and the internal recognition of the moral quality of one's motives and actions approving the right and condemning the wrong. We stirred his mind and his heart to live in the conscientious practice of all that is good so that We guard him from evil and immorality; He was indeed one of Our sincere worshippers

[25] To escape the threatened evil he ran to the door: as she chased him she could only reach the hack of his garment, and in his struggle to advance forward, the back of his garment was torn. The master was just coming in and they all met at the door. To justify her action and have her revenge, she said to her husband: "What punishment should be appropriate for someone who tried to assail your wife's virtue but that he be imprisoned or suffers a condign punishment

[26] He -Yusuf- said: "She tried to incite me to an immoral act,". When the family gathered to judge the case, one of them wisely said: "if his garment is torn at the front, then she is in the right and the truth is on her side, and" he is lying

[27] And", he added, "if his garment is torn at the back then she is lying and he has fact upon his side

[28] When her husband saw the garment torn at the back, he said: " This is one of your intrigues, you women; potent indeed is your cunning which you take for a sinister and crooked wisdom

[29] Yusuf", he continued, "let go this incident, and you, my wife, invoke Allah's forgiveness; you were indeed in the wrong

[30] The rumour circulated among some women -the society- in the city. They said: "The wife of the court officer solicits her slave; she is much enamoured of him and inflamed with love; we see that she is indeed vitiated by error

[31] When she heard of their evil intent aggravating her guilt, she invited them to her house and gave them a banquet. The seats were propped up with cushions, the table was set with delightful food and table knives were put in place, one for each. When they were served with the course whereat they use the knives, she ordered him –Yusuf- to come into the room. When the women saw him they were overwhelmed with wonder and they marvelled at his exceptional good looks with profound admiration to the extent that they missed the fruit and wounded their hands. They exclaimed " Allah forbid this is not a mortal; he is none other than a highly impressive, stately and distinguished angel

[32] There and then, she said to them: "This is he on whose account you reproved me." "I wanted him to fulfill my desire but he refused, and unless he submits to my command and does what I want, he shall be put in prison and be incensed with multiplied humiliations

[33] O Allah, my Creator," Said Yusuf, "l would rather be imprisoned than submit to their evil desire; and unless O Allah, You keep their intrigues away from me, I may succumb to their temptation and be one of these wrongful of actions

[34] Allah responded to his invocation and kept their cunning away from him; He is indeed AL-Sami' (the Omnipresent with unlimited audition) and AL-'Alim (the Omniscient)

[35] But they -the men- thought it would be in the best interests of all concerned that he be put in prison for a while, albeit they saw all the signs confirming his innocence

[36] Along with Yusuf, two young men serving in the court were dismissed and put in prison. Each of them had a dream. One of them saw himself pressing grapes to make wine and the other saw himself carrying bread on his head and the birds were eating therefrom. Impressed by Yusuf's appearance which they thought was conformable to reason and piety, they asked him: "Can you reveal to us the significance of these dreams! We do see you a man of piety and we see in you virtue in its true signification

[37] Rest assured", he said, before food is brought to you, I will have informed you of the interpretation of your dreams. This is a part of the divine knowledge Allah, my Creator has imparted to me in consequence of conforming my will to His will. I have forsaken the system of faith of a people who deny Allah and refuse to acknowledge the truth of the Hereafter

[38] I followed the system of faith and worship of my fathers Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya'qub. It was never befitting that we should incorporate with Allah other deities, this is His grace abounding in us and in mankind but most people are not impelled with the feeling of gratitude

[39] Fellow - inmates", he said, "do you honestly believe that such an immense universe could be controlled with such precision by a group of creatures diverse in kind, nature and character or by Allah AL-Wahid (the One and only) Who is AL- Qahhar (the Omnipotent, Absolute and Irresistible)

[40] In fact," he added, "those whom you worship besides Him are but names of objects you and your fathers have designated as gods; a system of faith and worship Allah has never authorized. Indeed, decision, command and judgement are asserted as Allah's own, He ordained that you worship no one but Him. This is the right system of faith and worship but most people do not perceive this fact

[41] Fellow prisoners said Yusuf, "Now, you shall have the interpretation of your dreams": "As to the fellow pressing grapes, he will be released and restored to his position and will serve his master -the king- with wine, whereas the other will be crucified and the vultures will prey upon his head. There, the die is cast concerning your enquiry

[42] Then said he to the inmate whom he thought would be released: "Mention my name and my story, O fellow, to the king when you are in his presence." But in the midst of the court he -the servant- yielded to the lower part of his nature which is guided by AL-Shaytan and forgot to mention to the king the story of his fellow prisoner. By consequence, Yusuf remained in confinement for a few years - said to be not less than three years

[43] And for once said the king to his retinue: "I saw in my dream seven fat cows eaten by seven lean and emaciated ones, and seven green ears of corn and seven others dry. Give me O counselors an opinion as it seems to you on that sense impression I had in my sleep if you are well versed in interpreting dreams

[44] These are nothing but confused dreams," they said, "nor are we conversant with the interpretation of dreams

[45] There and then did Yusuf's fellow prisoner who heard of the king's dream remember in the end Yusuf and his story. He said: "Permit me to withdraw and give me permission to go to where I can get you the right and true information

[46] He asked: "Yusuf; O man of righteousness and truth, reveal to us this dream and what it prefigures: Seven fat cows were eaten by seven lean and emaciated ones, and seven green ears of corn together with seven dry ones." " Give me your opinion so that I go back to the people and inform them of what they should expect

[47] Yusuf did not only tell him of what people should expect but also suggested the safe measures to be taken. He said: "You shall sow the land in diligent labouring and when it is the season for reaping and gathering in the ripened grain, leave it in its ears and lay it up in store except a little which you will eat

[48] Following this episode, there shall come seven droughty years consuming all that you have saved except the little which you have to use for seed

[49] Then, there follows a year in which people shall rejoice at the abundance of rain and at the yield of grape-vines and other juicy and oily trees and they shall be busy pressing juices and extracting oils

[50] The king, now pleased, said: "Bring him to me." When the king's messenger went to fetch him, Yusuf with just confidence, said to the messenger.: "Go back to your master and ask him to re open my case and question the women who wounded their hands at the banquet and what did they have in mind to be up to trap! "Allah, my creator is indeed fully aware of their cunning

[51] There and then did the king summon the women and question them. He asked: "What was your purpose and intention when you tried to solicit Yusuf?" They said: "Allah forbid, we have never known him to be morally depraved". The court official's wife, now being brought to her senses said: "Now that the truth transpired, it was I who solicited him and he has indeed been telling the truth

[52] I declare the truth", she added, "so that he knows that I did not advantage myself of his absence and betray him or relate to him falsehood. Allah does not cause the cunning of the deceitful and the dishonest attain its end

[53] I'm not trying", she said, "to vindicate my wrong nor do I absolve myself of the guilt which resided in my intention. One's ego inclines one to propound evil except those who are graced with Allah's mercy, and Providence their guide; Allah, my Creator, is indeed Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun (Merciful)

[54] There and then did the king command that Yusuf be brought to him; he said: "I will use him as my councillor and exclusively my own". When Yusuf was granted audience with the king, the king said to him: "You are now held precious in the realm's esteem and you are granted security and authority

[55] There, Yusuf said: "Now, O king, that you have faith in me, then entrust ''me with the granaries and the storehouses of the agricultural and natural products of the land and with the treasuries of the realm, and you shall find me trustworthy and capable of guarding the interests of the kingdom and knowing how to manage and administer affairs cleverly

[56] Thus did We firmly establish Yusuf in the land where he could extend his power and jurisdiction wherever he willed. We bestow our mercy on whom We will and never do We annul, withhold or withdraw the fruit people are entitled to reap from deeds of wisdom and piety

[57] Moreover, the reward Hereafter shall be far better; it falls to those who recognized Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and constantly entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[58] They went to the man in charge of the granaries -Yusuf- who knew them while they failed to recognize him

[59] He supplied them with their requirement of corn; he talked with them acting as if he did not know they had a half brother he said to them: "So, you have a brother through your father. Bring him to me; do you not see that I dispense the measure to the full and that I afford welcome and extend the most generous hospitality to guests and visitors

[60] If you do not bring him," he added, "I will deny you the provision of corn which you need, nor will you be allowed to come near me

[61] They said to him: "we will talk his father into our cause and persuade him into sending him with us and rest assured that that we will certainly do

[62] There and then said Yusuf to his attendants who rendered the service: "Put back their money -which they paid for the corn- into their saddle-bags; they may recognize it when they go back to their people and hopefully be encouraged to come back

[63] When they returned to their father, they said to him: "O father we have been threatened with the denial of future corn-measures unless we be accompanied by our brother –Benjamin-, therefore, we beg you to send him with us so that we can get our supply of corn, and we solemnly promise to guard him home

[64] The father said: "Shall I entrust him to you just as I entrusted his brother -Yusuf- to you before! Allah is He Who is the Tutelary Guardian and He is the most capable of extending mercy

[65] But when they unloaded and opened their bags, they found their money had been refunded to them and there, they said: "Look O father, what more do we want! There is our money; it has been returned to us; we will provision our family, guard our brother and add a camel's load good at need; It is but a small quantity

[66] The father said: "I will not send him –Benjamin- with you until you have given me a binding oath with a solemn appeal to Allah in witness that you shall bring him back to me unless you are surrounded ,,. Having made an oath to him, he said to them: "There, shall Allah be our witness Who stands guard over what we discourse

[67] He -Ya'qub- in a word with grace divine imbued, advised his sons ," not to make entry through the same gate. He said to them: " O my sons, do not all enter by the same gate but segregate yourselves from one another and enter by different gates. Not that I will deprecate a misfortune that Allah has meant to befall you, it is not in mortals to command success." "Allah is He Who has the command; in Him do I trust and in Him must all the faithful put their trust

[68] Albeit they entered in the manner conformable to their father's advice, it did not mean that they would have escaped a misfortune decreed by Allah, but it was only a notion in Ya'qub's mind wherefore his reason was satisfied. He was imbued with divine knowledge We had imparted to him, but most people are not so imbued nor do they perceive this fact

[69] When they came to where Yusuf was, he took his full brother -Benjamin- by his side, and in a manner designed to escape observation, he declared to him his identity and actuated him with the feeling of confidence and said to him: "Do not grieve at heart over what their minds and souls had impelled them to do

[70] When he was supplying them with their requirement of corn, the attendants, who were instructed earlier, put the king's cup in his brother Benjamin's saddle-bag. As all of them started to journey homeward, an announcer declared larceny; he said: "O you travellers, you are thieves

[71] The brothers turned back and asked: "What is it that you have lost

[72] The attendants said: "We lost the king's cup, and we promise to reward whoever finds it a camel's load of corn", and, said the foreman, "I am, to this effect, the guarantor

[73] The brothers said: "By Allah! you people know that we did not come here to cause mischief or create discord, nor are we disposed to such conduct

[74] The attendants said: "What penalty then shall be incurred on him who is found guilty of theft if it be established that you are lying

[75] Being sure of their innocence-, the brothers said: "He who is found guilty of theft shall have to pay for it or else be the property of the state, and it serves him right; for thus do we treat (in Jewish Can'an) the wrongful of actions

[76] He –Yusuf- began the search with their sacks before searching that of his brother -Benjamin-, then he brought it out of Benjamin's saddle bags. Thus did We design a stratagem for Yusuf to outwit his brothers according to the inspired plan. He could not have detained his brother -Benjamin- by exercising judicial authority not conformable to the statutes of the realm, nor could he have applied the Jewish law of full restitution for the theft or the enslavement by the state unless Allah had willed. So it was. We raise whom We will to higher ranks and exalt them in dignity, wisdom and power. Above every one having mastery of knowledge, there is one who is endowed with more substantial knowledge; and above every one whose sum of knowledge with grace divine imbued there is AL-'Alim (the All-Knowing, the Omniscient)

[77] There and then said the brothers, adding insult to injury: "If he has appropriated dishonestly something belonging to someone else, a brother of his had committed theft aforetime." Yusuf swallowed his resentment and kept it down, and in words spoken aside he said: "You went further and fared worse; it shall go bad with you here and worse Hereafter, and Allah knows every falsity you devise

[78] Yusuf said: "O you noble one, he has a father who is carried through the stealing steps of age to advanced life. Take one of us in his stead, we do see you a man of piety and we see in you virtue in its true signification

[79] Allah forbid", said Yusuf, "that we should take to our custody but him with whom we found our personal property or else we will be wrongful of actions

[80] When they lost hope of pursuading him to change his position, they were reticent about their intentions wherefore they withdrew and conferred in secret: "Do you not know", said their eldest, "or have you forgotten that your father has bound you by an oath with a solemn appeal to Allah! what of your sense of guilt of negligence and want of reasonable care which has bereaved our father of his son Yusuf. Therefore, I have resolved never to depart from hence until my father has permitted me to do so or Allah has determined me on a course of action; He gives the law whereas all other judges just interpret it

[81] Go back to your father", he added, and say to him: your son -Benjamin- has committed a theft and we were associated with the event and we only relate what we saw with our own eyes; and when we bound ourselves by the vow, we did not indulge in prophecy to foretell future events or realize the unseen

[82] If you are in doubt of what we relate to you," they added, "then you may send whom you trust to the city whereat we were, to inquire in the matter of the larceny, and you may also ask the people with whom we travelled, and rest assured that we are telling the truth and nothing but the truth

[83] Ya'qub said: " Indeed your minds and souls have enticed you to do something evil and impelled you to feign this tale; may Allah bring them all back to me; He is indeed AL-'Alim and AL-Hakim (the Wise)

[84] He withdrew away from them and retired from their society, weeping and expressing his feeling of grief aroused by the loss of Yusuf. He said: " what a pity it is to lose Yusuf! " and he felt profound grief and mourned passionately to the extent that his eyes turned opaque and impenetrable to sight in the train of his mental pain and deep sorrow

[85] His sons said to him: "For heaven's sake, shall you keep on recalling Yusuf to your memory with distressed mind and deep sorrow and weep out your eyes and heart until you are consumed by disease or perish in the wreck of sorrow

[86] I only exercise my mind in thought", he said, "and express my grief and deep sorrow to Allah, and I know from Allah what you my sons do not know

[87] My sons " he added: "go back to your older brother and feel all of you after Yusuf and his brother -Benjamin- and do not nurse despair nor give up hope of Allah's mercy. Indeed no one despairs of Allah's mercy but those who do not pin their faith to Him nor do they justify faith as a conviction operative on their character and will

[88] When the brothers went back and joined the eldest brother and were granted audience of the vizier –Yusuf-, they said to him, appealing to his charity: "O noble one we and our family have had a severe touch of misfortunes and the famine has levied distress upon us, and we have brought the little we could afford in exchange for the corn we need. We seek your kindness and your benevolence for the alleviation of our mental and physical distress. We should be grateful indeed if you would give us the full measure of corn and consider the extra you add as charitable alms comforting the poor; blessed indeed is he that considers the poor, for Allah rewards the benevolent

[89] Yusuf then said: "Do you recall what you did to Yusuf and his brother. You probably did not realize the danger and the consequence of what you were doing and you did it foolhardily

[90] They said: "Indeed you are Yusuf, are you not!" "Indeed I am," said Yusuf, "and this is my brother –Benjamin-. Allah has graced us with His divine favour and benediction, and conferred on us prosperity, for he who entertains the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and be unwearied in the face of difficulties and able to endure evil shall be greatly rewarded. Allah does not annul, withhold or withdraw the fruit people are entitled to reap from their deeds of wisdom and piety

[91] Goodness", they said, "indeed Allah has taken you by preference out of all of us and exalted you in status, rank and fortune and characterized you by impressive disposition." "We do acknowledge our sinful deed and confess ourselves to Allah with full purpose of amendment of life

[92] Today" said, Yusuf: "I cannot blame you to weep, nor do I reproach you. To err is human, to forgive, divine. Allah forgive you, for to Him belong mercy and forgiveness; He is the most Merciful of all those who exercise mercy

[93] Go back with this shirt of mine", he added, "and lay it on my father's face. He will recover his sight, and bring me all the members of your family

[94] When the caravan was on its way homeward, Ya'qab, inspirited with the divine prerogative of intuition, had a presentiment of the event that was about to happen. He said: "I do perceive Yusuf's scent in the wind, albeit you people might think I have lost my mind

[95] But those who were around him said to him: "By Allah, you still live in your old perplexity and confused state of mind

[96] But when the harbinger of good presage -the eldest brother- reached home, and laid Yusuf's shirt on his father's face; there did Ya'qab recover his faculty of sight. and thus he exclaimed: "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah what you people do not know

[97] There said the ten –guilty- sons to their father: "O father, invoke Allah's forgiveness on our behalf for what We committed of sinful deeds; we were indeed wrongful of actions

[98] The father said: "I will invoke Allah's forgiveness; on your behalf, my Creator is indeed AL-Ghafur (the Forgiving) AL-Rahim (the Merciful)

[99] When they all went to Egypt and were granted audience of Yusuf, he took his parents (father and stepmother- aunt who fostered him-) beside him and he said to them: "You are very welcome to reenter into Egypt where you make abode, Allah willing, safe and secure

[100] And he raised aloft his parents to his -the vizier's- seat of dignity and Authority and there and then did all of them bow to the ground in respect, reverence and admiration. There, said Yusuf to his father: "O father, this is the interpretation of my vision which was brought before my mind's eyes during sleep, and Allah has verified it and made it come true". "He was gracious to me; He brought to effect my release from prison and your emigration from the desert in Can'an to settle in the city in Egypt after AL-Shaytan had sown malevolence and ill-will in my brothers' bosoms against me". "Indeed Allah, my Creator, moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform as He will; He is indeed AL-'Alim and AL-Hakim

[101] To express his gratitude to Allah, he -Yusuf- came out with an invocatory prayer, thus: "O Allah, my Creator, You have graced me with pre-eminence in respect of power, dominion and authority, and You have imparted to me the knowledge of interpreting visions and what they prefigure of future events; You are the Creator, Who generated the heavens and the earth; You are my Tutelary Guardian here and Hereafter." "Disembody my soul, O Allah, impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and join me to those whose deeds had been imprinted with wisdom and piety

[102] Such narrative as We have inspired to you O Muhammad is an epitome of the chief points of a larger invisible work embracing unseen forces and motives, thoughts and feelings, complications and results not usually seen or perceived by people but win through in the end as Allah has planned. Nor were you O Muhammad in their circles when they ( the brothers, the retinue and the women resolved unanimously to accomplish what they had maliciously schemed)

[103] Nor are most people moved by the convincing divine signs and marvels, expositions and illustrations to exercise spiritual apprehension of divine truths nor do they justify faith as a conviction operative on their character and will, even though you Muhammad are full of keen desire to guide them into all truth

[104] In fact you never ask them for a price nor do you strike a bargain with them for advantaging them of divine knowledge and practical divinity cited in the Quran which is but a divine illumination and enlightenment revealed to guide mankind into all truth

[105] Countless are the convincing divine signs in the heavens and the earth but in some way people go by them unwilling to open their minds' eyes

[106] Nor do most of them recognize Allah without incorporating with Him other deities

[107] Are they certain in their minds that they are secure against a destructive punishment from the realm of heaven striking them at the root or against their Hereafter which might well be planted unexpectedly and unperceivably in the now

[108] Say to them -the infidels-: "This is my way of presenting divine inducements to the people, based on clear and comprehensible evidence; inducements which I, in collaboration with those who follow me, use to invite people to the path of Allah; glory to Him, and extolled are His glorious attributes wherefore never do I incorporate with Him other deities

[109] We never sent Messengers before you O Muhammad whom We inspired, but were men chosen from among the town dwellers whose deeds were natural to man. Have these people not journeyed through the land and looked with their minds' eyes to see what was the end of those who preceded them! Indeed the abode in Paradise is infinitely better for those who had entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah in life below; can you people not reflect

[110] Our Messengers O Muhammad do face hardships and difficulties, adversities and distresses to the extent that they give up hope of their followers' constancy and begin to think that they take them for impostors. There and then the turning point is reached and Our help comes in good time. We deliver whom We will and punish whom We will and never is Our retributive punishment averted from those who grow daily more and more wicked

[111] Indeed there has been an example or a great lesson in the narratives of the Messengers; a lesson lessoning those of intellect into abhorrence of impatience and despair and the abuse of divine faculties. Such narratives as have been disclosed by divine means are not a feigned tales, but an integral part of the Quran corroborating and authoritatively validating all the divine Books revealed before it in time and serving as an excellent interpretation expounding all the statutes and ordinances past and present revealed to all human beings exacting obedience from the whole. It is emblematic of the spirit of truth that guides the faithful into all truth and it is a mercy to those who lift to Allah their inward sight

[1] (Alef), L. (Lam), M. (Meem), R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, Cannot be emulated. These are divinely discoursed verses of the Book -the Quran- distinctly indicating that all that has been revealed to you O Muhammad from Allah, your Creator, is the truth guiding into all truth, but peoples' hearts dare rise defiant against Allah and most of them are unwilling to open their minds' eyes or their hearts' ears

[2] Allah, the Omnipotent, is He Who raised the heavens with its spheres lying above or outside of each other inlaid with heavenly bodies superstructures that are kept aloft without pillars or visible means* of support that you people can see, then set He Himself on the Throne of Supremacy and dominion, of grace and mercy, and reduced the sun** and the moon to a state of subserviency. Each describing its orbit for a determined period of time. He conducts all affairs and expounds His revelations and clearly displays His cosmic signs to the mind and renders His discourse readily understood so that you people may hopefully realize that you shall inevitably assemble before Him, at the predetermined point of time

[3] He is it Who extended the earth spreading it out and therein He placed mountains in a certain setting, fixed as with an anchor, and rivers with copious streams of fresh water flowing in channels, and of all and each fruit did He produce a pair, male and female -with stamens and pistils, uni and bisexual. He enshrouded the day with the veil of the night. Indeed here, there and everywhere are signs with prodigies emblematic of Omnipotence and Authority sensed by those who consider matters and ponder their cause

[4] And in the earth are areas bordering each other, and orchards of vines and edible grain and palm trees bearing clusters of dates moulded on one stem or on more than one stem arising from the same root, alimented with the same water from the same source, yet We make the produce of one unlike that of the other in quality and quantity and We distinguish some in taste upon others. Indeed, here, there and everywhere are signs with prodigies emblematic of Omnipotence and Authority sensed by those who view facts with their minds' eyes

[5] What strikes you with wonder is their astonishment that is mingled with perplexity and bewildered curiosity. They say: "Do you believe that after we have been reduced to dust, we will be restored to life and be created anew!". This is indeed flat blasphemy thought and felt by those who decisively deny Allah, and these are they who shall be fettered with the chains round their necks, and these are the inmates of Hell wherein they will have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[6] They defiantly ask you -O Muhammad- to hasten the promised punishment instead of searching out the truth and be hopeful of Allah's mercy, albeit they heard of the typical instances of the past, forming particular cases of a principle and signal instances of punishment. Nonetheless, Allah, your Creator, is indeed Forgiving. He extends His mercy and forgiveness to people despite their wrongful actions, but also, Allah, punishes severely

[7] Yet the infidels defiantly say: "If only a sign other than the Quran be revealed to him to evince both his wisdom and the truth of his mission!". But you are only a spectacle and a warning, and to every nation did Allah send a Messenger with the truth that guides into all truth

[8] Allah, the Omniscient, knows what every female -human and animal- bears in her womb and what the wombs would lose or gain. To every created being -material or immaterial- did Allah prescribe the extent and quality, the degree and the proportion according with its intended measure

[9] He is Omniscient of what the breasts store of thoughts and feelings and of what they forge. He has cognizance and holds prescience of what is conversed secretly and uttered below the breath and of what is suggested secretly to the mind. He is well acquainted with the visible and the seen and with what is avowed openly and openly disclosed and with all that is uttered loudly and with all that is being said. He is uniquely and imposingly the Great and He is infinitely far above the whole and all in all

[10] Indeed, everything that is said or done comes instantaneously to His knowledge whether it be by those of you who do not express their thoughts m words or utter them below their breath or by those of you whose vocal expression is openly avowed, and whether it be said or done by the one who hides under the veil of night or by the other who moves about in daylight

[11] Each and everyone has a succession of guardian angels guarding the whole on the fore and the back side upon Allah's high behest. Allah does not change the state of life of a given nation until they have changed the state of their innermost being. And when it is His will that a people be stricken with a misfortune or be wedded to a calamity, no expedient whatever nor anyone of singular ingenuity can avert it, and besides Him they have no tutelary protector

[12] He is it Who exhibits to view the lightening -the electrical discharges between groups of clouds or between the clouds and the ground- which actuate you people with the feeling of fear. It might bring suffering, strike one dead or engender a cyclonic storm. Also with the feeling of hope of rainfalls to revive the land that has been pined with drought- and He is it Who engenders the thick clouds, the cumulus and the cumulus nimbus

[13] And thunder, like the rest of His creation, as it declares itself, reverberates His praises, and so do the angels who stand under His awe with dread mingled with veneration and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him. He sends the engendered thunderbolts wherever He wills to strike therewith whom He will. Yet they -the infidels- argue against Allah and they are ready to argue than to obey Him when He is the Omnipotent and the Almighty Who strikes at the root

[14] The spirit of truth that guides into all truth is asserted as Allah's own, whereas those objects they worship and invoke besides Him do not respond to them anymore than the thirsty who stretches out his hand to lift water to his gaping mouth but it never reaches his mouth. Indeed the system of faith and worship practiced by the infidels is simply worthless and leads them to the loss in the of error

[15] To Allah Who controls the fate of all, do all beings, the material and the immaterial, in the heavens and on earth submit to His government and to His supreme controlling and influencing power willingly or unwillingly. So do the shadows they cast on the ground or on a surface by the intercepting sun rays fore and afternoon, and other luminary in the hull of the eve

[16] Ask them O Muhammad: "Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth!" and say to them: "It is Allah". and ask them: "Have you taken besides Him other deities who have no control over what befalls You of good or harm!". Ask them: "Do you compare the one without the sense of sight or who lacks spiritual perception with the other who perceives objects by sight or perceives mentally and apprehends by thought ! " "Does darkness or want of spiritual or intellectual sight compare with light or spiritual enlightenment?". Or did those whom they incorporate with Allah call into existence or form out of nothingness any creature, animate or inanimate, identical with any of those created by Allah, to the extent that they cannot tell the difference! Say to them: "It is Allah Who is the Creator of the whole and of all in all; He is the One and only Ilah, the Supreme controlling and influencing power inherent in the whole and in all in all

[17] He sends the rain-water from the floor of the vault of heaven and there it is conveyed along channels of various capacities in due measure. Where the torrent flows, it drives before it unworthy matter and impurities floating on the surface gathering into a heap of froth resembling aptly the foamy admixture and impurities mounting to the surface of the heated ores for the separation of precious metals used for ornaments and other uses. Thus does Allah give examples with allegorical representations of truth and falsehood. As to the froth and the scum, they are rejected and disappear, whereas what is profitable to the people remains behind on earth. Thus does Allah describe a subject under the guise of some other subject of aptly suggestive resemblance

[18] Those who respond favourably to Allah, the Creator, and lift to Him their inward sight are the recipients of Allah's blessings and gratifying rewards, whereas those who do not respond and their hearts dare rise defiant against Him were born to be losers. If they have profuse affluence of all things on earth and twice as much, they would gladly give it in expiation of their guilt at Judgment, but far from it. These and their like must expect a manifest discomfort of body and mind. Much misery and hardship shall be the insignia of their reckoning when the account of their life and conduct is rendered at Judgment. Their abode is Hell and evil indeed is the bed they have made for themselves

[19] Does he who is certain of the truth of your mission O Muhammad and knows that all that has been revealed to you from Allah, your Creator, is the truth guiding into all truth, compare with him who lacks intellectual and spiritual perception! Indeed, those who bear Allah in mind are people of insight

[20] who make their prayer unto Allah, their Creator, and to Him they render the vow, and they do not breach a legal or a moral bond nor an obligation or a promise

[21] who join together humanity and policy and the two hands in fidelity and join all that Allah has ordained be joined together, and stand in awe of Allah with dread mingled with veneration and they fear the misery and hardship experienced at Judgement

[22] who possess their souls in patience purposed to fulfill their obligation to Allah and to satisfy their conscience and their hearts

[23] Enjoying themselves in the Gardens of Eden with peace of mind and blissful habitation. They are heartily welcomed together with those who are righteous among their parents, their mates and their progeny, and there, shall they be visited by the angels who make entry through every gate

[24] To bid them welcome and greet them with the welcoming salute: "Peace be upon you for your patience and endurance; how excellent and how blissful is this final and eternal abode

[25] Those who do not fulfill their covenant with Allah after they have solemnly vowed to Him to do what has been enjoined, disjoining humanity and policy instead of joining them, separating the two hands joining one another in fidelity, disjoining all that Allah has ordained be joined together and making mischief on earth or creating discord were born to be losers. These and such persons have come within the measure of Allah 's wrath, and in their final abode they will have passed through nature to eternal suffering

[26] Allah gives livelihood generously and confers support gratuitously on whom He will and He also gives with restraint and by measure to whom He will. The worldly - minded - rejoice beyond a common joy with life here below afore that Hereafter. But how little are the material and the immaterial things that minister to enjoyment and content here as compared with Hereafter

[27] Yet the infidels insolently say: "If only a sign other than the Quran be revealed to him from Allah, his Creator, to evince both his wisdom and the truth of his mission! Say to them: "Indeed, Allah misleads whom He pleases and He guides those who lift to Him their inward sight

[28] Their hearts and minds become quiet and calm at the thought of Allah. Indeed, at the thought of Allah do hearts and minds find peace, repose and tranquility

[29] Those who recognize Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds with wisdom and piety are they whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand. Blessed are they with the beatitude of heaven, and eternity in perpetual bliss is asserted as their own

[30] Thus have We sent you O Muhammad to a people before whom generations who received Messengers have passed away, so that you recite to them Our divine revelations and narrate to them all that We have inspired to you, notwithstanding that they deny Allah, AL-Rahman and His mercy, and their hearts dare rise defiant against Him. Say to them: "He is Allah, my Creator, there is no Ilah but He; in Him do I trust and to Him do I in lowliest plight repentant stand and unto Him do I set my thought

[31] And if there be a discourse that has a firm place in the realm of fact, a discourse by which mountains could be set in motion or the earth be torn apart or the dead be spoken to it would have been this Quran But, command, control, domination and decision are asserted as Allah's own. Further, do those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand not realize that had Allah willed He could have guided mankind as a whole to His path of righteousness! Nonetheless, those whose hearts dare rise defiant against Allah -shall not cease to be bombarded with disaster hitting them directly in requital of their evil deeds or hits close enough to their homes -as a deterrent- until Allah's promised punishment comes to pass. Allah never fails to keep His promise

[32] Messengers sent before you O Muhammad were also bombarded with foul epithets. The infidels mocked them and gave them a lick with the rough side of their tongues, and called them everything they could lay their tongues to. But despite their wickedness, I put their punishment in respite, then I cast them down from a position of prosperity and power and brought them to ruin, and how unbearable was the retribution

[33] Does he who stands guard over every soul, and His sentinel angels record every deed that is done or in the making or suggested secretly to the mind and to whose knowledge everything comes instantaneously, compare with a false object of worship or a helpless creature or dumb idols whom they called holy gods! Yet they still incorporate with Allah other deities. Say to them: "Name them; or do you inform Allah of objects on earth He has no knowledge of! the fact is that the infidels' intrigues and cunning allured them to brighter worlds and led them, under the vexations of their minds, to a path other than that of righteousness. And he whom Allah misguides shall find no one to guide him thereto

[34] They must expect punishment in this world, and worse shall be the punishment in the world-to-come, and besides Allah no one can afford them protection

[35] To represent in words the Paradise promised those who lift to Allah their inward sight, it is the Garden of bliss and delight, of protection, security and peace of mind beneath which rivers flow. Its fruits and its glory are eternal and therein they will have passed through nature to eternity of joy. This is the destination of those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, whereas the intended end of those who deny Him is the fire of Hell

[36] Ahl AL-Kitab (The People of the Book) -the Jews- who lift to Allah their inward sight rejoice at the Quran and at all that has been revealed to you O Muhammad They find in it an extension of the basic principles of the Oneness of Allah, the validation of previous Scriptures and the unity of purpose, feeling and action. But among the sects are those who receive a part of the Quran with consenting mind and reject other parts not falling in with their vain desires. Say to them: "I have been commanded to worship Allah and never to incorporate with Him other deities and to present inducements to the people to turn to Him; and to Him shall all return

[37] And thus did We reveal it -the Quran- as the constitution of Our Sovereign power discoursed in Arabic literary form. And should you Muhammad be inclined to please them -the sects- and respond to their desires after divine knowledge has been imparted to you, then you will have lost Allah's tutelary guardianship and protection

[38] We sent Messengers before you O Muhammad who were human and We entered them into matrimony and We gave them a progeny, and it was not for any of them to work a miracle of his own, their miracles were worked and Authorized by Allah and were imparted to them as He ordained. Every period of time has its divine Book and appropriate constitution

[39] Allah deletes -what becomes of secondary character- as He wills and He confirms what He will, and this and that are put on record in the archetypal Book in the realm of Heaven

[40] And We either show you O Muhammad in your life time some part of the retributive punishment We promised them or occasion your death before. You are only responsible for relating the divine message and We are responsible for their trial in Day of judgement

[41] Do they -the infidels- not see that We reduce the; land or territory in their possession and add it to the Muslims territory by progressive conquests of its outlying borders! And Allah is He Who commands, and no one shall ever be able to reverse His judicial decision;He is swift indeed in putting the law in execution

[42] Their predecessors schemed and conspired and the wicked plotted against the just, but who can get the better of Allah's plans or defeat His predetermined events? He is the Master Who controls all plans at will. He has omniscience and holds prescience of all that each soul earns of qualities, actions and deeds, The day shall come when the infidels realize with much regrets to whom belongs eternity in the heavenly and blissful abode

[43] Thus still, the infidels say to you-: "You are not sent by Allah nor are you charged with a message from Him to mankind". Say to them: " Good enough for me is Allah as a witness of my actions and of your actions. He knows the truth of the Book -the Quran- and of every Book and so do those who apply their minds to the acquisition of learning and exercise thought and deliberation in reading the Book

[1] (Alef), L. (Lam), R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue cannot be emulated. A Book -the Quran- the Source of enlightenment - We have revealed it to you O Muhammad to guide people into all truth and to lead them, Allah willing, out of darkness and superstitions of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment, and to direct them to the path of righteousness, the path of Allah, the AL-Aziz (Almighty) and AL-Hamid (to Whom are extolled the glorious attributes)

[2] Allah, to Whom belong the whole and all in all in the heavens and on earth; woe betide the infidels who deny Him. They shall pass through nature to eternal suffering

[3] Those worldly-minded who chose to go by the world below afore the Hereafter and did not seek Grace to guide their choice and stood in the way to prevent Allah's spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth making it their aim to pervert the truth and crook the path of righteousness to their own ends were born to be losers. These and their like are indeed lost in the maze of error

[4] We never sent a Messenger, to a people, who did not master their tongue so that he makes himself understood, distinctly expressing all that is meant leaving nothing merely implied. There and then does Allah misguide whom He will and guides to His path of righteousness whom He will, and He is the AL-Aziz (the Almighty) and AL-Hakim (the Source of wisdom and wise mysterious dispensations)

[5] We sent Mussa (Moses) with Our revelations and signs pointing to Allah's Authority and We commanded him to guide his people into all truth and lead them out of darkness and superstitions of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment We enjoined him to remind them of the eventful days of Allah, His means of trail and His mode of action

[6] And there, did Mussa say to them: "My people, remember Allah's grace and blessings He imparted to you". He delivered you from the people of Pharaoh who laid upon you cruel impositions and intolerable torment. They brutally slaughtered your sons and spared your women, and this was indeed a severe but a sure test of your actions and reactions echoing your true beliefs and the prevalent inclination among you

[7] And in consequence did Allah, your Creator, proclaim, thus: "If you actuate yourselves with the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness I will make all grace abound in you, but should you show ungratefulness, then you must realize that My punishment* is indeed severe

[8] And Mussa added: "should you be ungrateful and, together with all those domiciled on earth, you be inclined to disobedience, then you must realize that Allah is Ghaniyun (Absolute and Independent) and Hamidun (extolled are His glorious attributes)

[9] Have you people not been informed of what became of your predecessors: the people of Nuh (Noah) and those of 'Ad and the people of Thamud and their successors whom no one knows but Allah! Their Messengers brought them clear and plain revelations guiding out of darkness and superstitions of later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual sight into illumination and enlightenment but they drew their hands across their lips to menace with their mouths their refusal to accept the divine message and said: "We flatly deny the truth of your mission and we are in doubt of the system of faith which you invite us to follow. It excites suspicion

[10] Their Messengers said to them: Do you people involve Allah in doubt when it is He who generated the heavens and the earth and brought them into existence and He invites you to His system of faith and worship so that you qualify to receive His blessings and the forgiveness of your sins! He grants you respite to confess yourselves mistaken and your punishment He puts in respite up to a predetermined point of time. They said: "But you are simply mortals like us and you just want us to turn our backs upon the gods our fathers held in holy reverence and veneration! Give us then solid evidence that convinces our minds and tends to prove the conclusion

[11] Their Messengers said to them: "But we are only mortals like you and Allah imparts His grace to those of His worshippers whom He chooses as He will, and it is not for us nor is it within our power to present you with the evidence but with Allah's delegated power and authorization. And in Allah do those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand put their trust

[12] And why should we not put our trust in Allah when He has guided us to the paths We should tread in our course of action and in our line of conduct, line of thought and argument and to all the paths of life. The paths leading us to His path of righteousness and inducing us to connect knowledge with wisdom and our hearts with the spirit of truth and help us endure your foul epithets and unjust affliction! And in Allah should all those who lift to Him their inward sight put their trust

[13] And the infidels insolently and defiantly said to their Messengers: " We will most certainly oust you of your homes and drive you out of our land unless you reverse your course of action and return to our system of faith and worship". But Allah, their Creator, inspired to them confidence and assured them thus: "We will put the wrongful of actions to rout and bring unbearable and irretrievable disaster upon them

[14] And We will install you in their land and settle you therein to make abode after We have reduced them into a useless form. This is a favour We confer only on him who entertains the profound reverence dutiful to Me and regards the moment he assembles before Me with reverence and awe and lays to heart the threatened punishment

[15] The Messengers prayed for victory and the infidels entertained expectation of triumph and suppression of their adversaries -the Muslims-, but the hopes of every transgressor who is self-willed and opinionated are doomed to disappointment

[16] Hell is in his pursuit and offensive boiling water shall be in his aliment

[17] He drinks of it by sips he can hardly swallow but then he shall drink up the dregs of it forever, and over him triumphant death his dart shakes but never shall it strike, and the torment laid upon the damned shall be in his pursuit

[18] Those infidels, who deny Allah, whose physical and mental efforts are not intimately mixed with the spiritual apprehension of divine truths were born to be losers. Their efforts are useless and stand similitude exact of ashes which are exposed to violent high winds scattering them in all directions. They are unable to advantage themselves of what they have accomplished, and this is perversion in the extreme

[19] O man, can you not see with the bodily eyes and with those of your mind that Allah created the heavens and the earth and brought them into existence in truth and in all manner of wisdom and for a valid reason, and if He wills He can do away with you and replace you by a new creation

[20] And this would not be a difficult act for Him to accomplish

[21] And when the whole have emerged from the graves and assembled before Allah at Judgment, the weak who lacked strength of purpose and will shall say to those who were extravagant in their accounts of themselves: "We were your followers; are you now going to carry on our behalf a share of Allah's torment laid upon the damned!" The proud would answer "Had Allah guided us to His path of righteousness, We would have guided you thereto; now it is all the same whether we be impatient or patient, never will we be able to possess our souls nor can we escape

[22] When the die is cast then AL-Shaytan (Satan) shall say to those whose hopes were doomed to disappointment: "Allah had promised you the truth affording expectation of all that is good showing signs of future excellence". "I also promised you and afforded you ground of expectation of all that would seem good and allure you to brighter worlds. But as was expected I broke my promise". "I had no authority over you; I simply presented you with false inducements attracting your attention and influencing your appetites and I led the way". "Therefore do not blame me but you should lay the blame upon yourselves. I cannot help you now nor can you help me either from the torment laid upon the damned. Indeed, I renounced your idea of incorporating me with Allah as a predominant partner aforetime; the wrongful of actions are destined to eternal suffering

[23] But those whose hearts reflected the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds wisdom and piety have been enrolled as the honoured inmates of the beatitude of heaven in blissful gardens beneath which rivers flow wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity, Allah willing, greeted by the angels with the customary formula conducive to the feeling of security and peace of mind, "Peace

[24] Do you not see you people how did Allah exemplify the good word of truth! It stands similitude exact of a blessed fruit tree, its roots are firmly implanted and its branches are springing out skyward

[25] It yields its produce, Allah willing, periodically in season; Allah' discourses to people parables by which moral or spiritual relations are typically set forth

[26] Whereas an evil word stands similitude exact of an evil tree; it may flourish to begin with but soon enough it is uprooted from the soil and the surface of the earth. Its roots being loosely implanted, it does not have the strength to grow erect nor does it eventually grow at all

[27] Allah confirms those whose hearts have been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues in opinion, action, purpose and in their words of truth expressing their thoughts and corroborating their faith in life here and at judgment Hereafter. Allah misguides the wrongful of actions, and Allah accomplishes what He will

[28] Have you not seen O Muhammad into the way these infidels act! They exchange the efficacious grace of Allah for disobedience and infidelity and set up their people in the abode of perdition

[29] The abode in Hell whereat they be enveloped in flames, and evil indeed is the place wherein they make abode

[30] And they set to Allah objects of worship presumptuously possessing a like degree of quality or attribute and in the same level of dignity, power and excellence and having the same rights or privileges to lead people into error and in the wrong direction. Say to them O Muhammad "Enjoy yourselves and serve the Devil; you have decided your own destiny to the Fire

[31] Say to My servants who have conformed to Islam: "Engage in the act of worship and spend in divine service, secretly or openly of the provisions of life We provisioned them with before the Day comes when there shall be no trading nor friendship

[32] Allah is He, Who created the heavens and the earth and brought them into existence and sent down from the floor of the vault of heaven rain-water causing the various products to spring up from the soil; products fit to be used as food for human sustenance. He reduced the ships to a state of subjection under your dominion and authority to be buoyant by His invisible acting force producing buoyancy and motion. He ordered the rivers in subservience to your advantage your end

[33] He reduced for you the sun* and the moon** to a state of subserviency, constantly describing their paths and the night and the day were not made to rule but to subserve you where wisdom bears command

[34] And He made all grace abound in you; He gave you of everything you asked for, and if you were to compute the divine favours you wear, you shall find them out of all count; but man is indeed wrong-headed, displaying no gratitude

[35] And for once did Ibrahim express his thoughts in an invocatory prayer thus: "O Allah, my Creator", he said. may I ask You to confer on this town -Macca- security and make it afford a safe retreat and freedom of fear and anxiety, and guard me O Allah, my Creator, and my progeny from idolatry

[36] These objects of worship "O Allah, my Creator, have allured the mind's eyes of the many who strayed from. Your path of righteousness, therefore, he who follows me and submits to Your system of faith and worship shall be an integral part of me, and he who disobeys me shall be left to plead his causes and You decide them; you are Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun (Merciful)

[37] O Allah, our Creator, I have made some of my progeny take abode in an uncultivated valley in the vicinity of your Sacrosanct House to engage O Allah in the act of worship. Let the hearts and souls of people, O Allah be moved toward them with tenderness and affection, and provide them with the fruits of the earth, they may hopefully be thankful

[38] You do know O Allah, our Creator, all our thoughts and all that our bosoms conceal and You do know all that we vent in words and all that we reveal, and simply nothing whatsoever escapes Your knowledge be it on earth or in the heavens

[39] My bosom surge up and answers thanks to Allah Who has graced me in My old age with the procreation of Ismail and Ishaq (Isaac). Indeed, Allah, my Creator, is Sami'un (Omnipresent) with unlimited audition and; He responds to the prayer

[40] O Allah, my Creator, help me express my gratitude to You in the act of worship and make me and those, whom you will, of my progeny devout with prayerful minds and expressive of prayer and grant me O Allah, our Creator, my humble request

[41] O Allah, my Creator", he concluded, "extend your mercy and forgiveness to me, to my parents and to those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand. In Day of Judgment when all shall answer for their conduct and render an account of their lives

[42] Do not think O Muhammad that Allah is oblivious of the doings of the wrongful of actions. He only postpones their condemnation to punishment to a Day when they stand gazing fixedly with the eyes wide open in horror

[43] They rush at an excessive pace with hearts sinking in their shoes, lifting up their heads in supplication for forgiveness. Their eyes cannot wink, they are fixedly gazed wide open in terror and their hearts are empty of intellect and of all hope

[44] Therefore, warn people O Muhammad of the Day when they are overtaken by Allah's retributive punishment, then the wrongful of actions shall say: "O Allah our Creator, if only You would delay our condemnation to punishment for a term close at hand, we will apprehend the voice from heaven and be in purpose and follow the Messengers" But they shall be told: "Did you not swear before that you shall never suffer loss nor any change in disposition neither in life nor Hereafter

[45] You dwelt in the abode of those* who were wrongful of actions and much did you apprehend the quiet of their cities which was purchased by the ruin of their land and the ultimate wretchedness of both. And We discoursed to you parables by which moral and spiritual relations were typically set forth

[46] Yet, with cleverness in circumventing, they -the Meccan infidels- had recourse to stratagem, but all their cunning they take for a sinister and crooked wisdom comes to Allah's knowledge, notwithstanding that their breastplate of cunning is overreaching that it moves mountains

[47] Therefore do not think O Muhammad that Allah will fall short of keeping His promise to His Messengers; Allah is Azizun (Almighty) indeed; and He justly avenges His own right

[48] Such a retributive punishment shall come into effect on the Day when the planet earth is changed to another planet and the heavens too, and there, they - people- emerge from their graves and assemble before Allah, the One, and only AL-Qahhar (Who subdues all)

[49] There and then shall you see the sinful bound together in fetters

[50] Vested in garments of pitch with their faces shrouded in a veil of flames

[51] And in accord with equity and justice shall Allah requite every soul with what is commensurate with its qualities and worldly deeds

[52] This is a divinely inspired message sent from Allah to His Messenger to use as a warning to the whole and to spread it in the wide circle of the all, they may hopefully realize that He is One Ilah and the matter be weighed by those who lift to Him their inward sight

[1] (Alef), L. (lam) R. (Raa), the Surah opens with these letters introductory from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, cannot be emulated. These are divine prosy discoursed verses of the Book and a perspicuous Quran which stands manifest of enlightenment and imparting knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light

[2] Perhaps the Day shall come sooner than expected when those who denied Allah and disobeyed His statutes wish they had conformed to Islam as ordained by Him

[3] Let them feast their senses, their thoughts and their feelings with infidelity and disobedience and experience with delight the pleasure they draw from such a disposition and be fooled by their hopes which they shall come to know and. realize that they are doomed to disappointment

[4] We never destroyed a city, a people or a nation arbitrarily but according to a justified act. There and then their end is being predetermined and unalterably decreed

[5] Nor can a people or a nation hasten their own end of ultimate state earlier than the predetermined due date nor can they delay it either

[6] Acting against their own best interests, they accuse the Messenger of falsehood; they mockingly say to him: "O you who claim to have received the divine message from heaven, you are indeed insane or demoniac

[7] Why then", they add, "you do not bring down the angels to substantiate your claim if indeed you are declaring the truth

[8] They do not realize that We do not send down the angels to satisfy a curiosity. We only send them down for a valid reason and a just cause -to execute Allah's decrees-, and if We do send them down, the infidels shall be annihilated on the spot and no hope shall there be for respite

[9] We have sent down the Quran featuring the virtuous divine message of truth which shall never suffer eclipse nor shall its spiritual power ever be on the wane and its preservation against loss and corruption is indeed Our concern

[10] We sent Messengers before you O Muhammad to the various sects of the distant past who were adherents of different systems of faith and worship

[11] And never did a Messenger present himself to them but suffered malicious mockery and was laughed to scorn

[12] Thus do We picture him in the minds and hearts of the sinful who grow daily more and more wicked

[13] They just refuse to recognize him nor do they accept his message, notwithstanding that Allah's mode of action which has long been pursued in the past for each typical instance forming a particular case of a principle and a signal instance of punishment shall not alter

[14] And if We were to open to them a gate in heaven to provide a free passage so as to admit of their continued ascent into the realm

[15] They would, thus still, say: "This is an eye trap. Our eyes have been confused with drink. In fact we have been bewitched

[16] We established in the heavens mansions or divisions of the ecliptic to be occupied by the moon on successive days and a belt within which the apparent motions of the sun, the moon and principal planets take place - Signs of the Zodiac*- and We adorned them with qualities affording keen pleasure to the sense of sight

[17] And We guarded them and their harmonious setting from disturbing Satanic forces and from those with characteristics befitting AL-Shaytan, the accursed

[18] He who peers inquisitively into the realm to steal whatever comes to his hearing of the secrets or future events is pursued by a flame of fire which does not miss

[19] And the earth did We spread out and stretch* and furnish with mountains placed in a certain setting, fixed as with an anchor, and therein did We produce and cause to grow a set of every kind whose seeming speaks of interdependence and the bearing of proportion

[20] And We provisioned you thereon with livelihood and We provisioned those creatures for which you are not responsible for furnishing with the necessities of life. -see introduction

[21] No material or immaterial object, an article or a substance of any kind or anything with which anyone is concerned in action or in thought but We have infinite stores thereof, and what We release from all and each and send down to meet the needs is ascertained by due measure

[22] And We send the wind as an agent of fertilization in plants and it impregnates also the clouds and there issues the rain We send down from the floor of the vault of heaven and We afford you aliment therewith and quench your thirst. It is not under your dominion or control that you can lay it up in store

[23] And it is We Who give life and inspirit the property of animate existence and occasion the moment of death and deprive of animate existence, and indeed it is We Who are in the end the inheritors of the heavens and the earth

[24] And We already know those of you whose turn to pay nature's debt comes first, and We already know those of you who would follow

[25] And it is Allah, your Creator, O Muhammad Who shall throng them all at Judgement. He is indeed Hakimun (Wise) and, 'Alimun (Omniseient)

[26] And We created man from dried clay, a product of dark modelling clay that has been polished

[27] And the Jinn did We create earlier from a fiery blast of fervently hot wind

[28] And for once did Allah say to the angels: I am on the point of creating a human from dried clay, the product of dark modelling clay that has been polished

[29] And when I have fashioned it and furnished it with a definite shape and imparted to it My spirit, then prostrate yourselves to him in reverence and admiration

[30] There and then did all the angels cast themselves down prostrate

[31] Except Iblis (AL-Shaytan-to-be) who refused to join those who prostrated themselves in obeisance to Allah

[32] What kept you, O Iblis", Allah Asked, "from joining those who cast themselves down in reverence and admiration

[33] It is not I", Iblis said, "who would cast himself down in reverence to a human whom You created from dried clay, a product of dark modeling clay that has been polished

[34] Then get out of hence", Allah said, " you are dismissed and accursed

[35] And the curse shall pursue you till The Day of Judgment

[36] Then Iblis requested Allah saying: "delay, my condemnation", O Allah till the Day of Resurrection

[37] Reprieve is granted", Allah said, "respiting your condemnation

[38] Till the specified Day on which the point of time has been predetermined

[39] Now, O Allah", Iblis said, that You have destined me and I have erred, I will entangle them with the bird-lime of fleshy passions, mundane vanity and temporalities and I will entice them all to do evil and I will incite idle men to tempt me to tempt them

[40] But not the devout among Your worshippers whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand and they lift to You their inward sight

[41] This is the path", Allah said, "the devout tread. It is the path of righteousness which leads directly to Me

[42] My devout worshippers", Allah continued, "do not come under your authority nor have you the power to influence their conduct and actions; you only have influence over those who follow you and in vanity they waste their days

[43] And Hell is indeed the destination wherein shall they all make their abode

[44] Apprehended in a material sense, it has seven gates through each of which shall enter those appropriated to the degree of suffering that is commensurate with their evil deeds

[45] Whereas those who have always entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah shall be blessed with divine favour. They are destined to make abode in blissful gardens in the beatitude of heaven fountained wits dazzling springs

[46] They will be addressed with expression of good will, thus: "Make entry into Paradise", they are told, "We bid you a hearty welcome wherein you shall live in peace, safe and secure

[47] And We will have erased malevolence from their breasts and injurious events from their memories; now they are an association of brothers spiritually allied to each other, seated on thrones of dignity facing each other

[48] There and then they are not overtaken by fatigue nor shall there be an impression of it upon their minds or their souls nor shall they be asked to leave or depart therefrom

[49] Tell My servants O Muhammad that I am indeed AL-Ghafur (the Forgiving) and AL-Rahim (the Merciful)

[50] and also that My retributive punishment is indeed severe; it is the torment laid upon the damned

[51] And inform their thoughts O Muhammad with the disguised angels who were the guests of Ibrahim

[52] They made entry into his home and greeted him with the expression of good will, "Peace", he recoiled back afraid of them -due to their unusual behaviour

[53] Do not be afraid". They said, " we have some news to break to you. We are here to announce to you the procreation of a son Ishaq (Isaac) who shall be imbued with wisdom and divine know ledge

[54] How can you", said Ibrahim, "intimate to me such news when I have been carried through the stealing steps of age to advanced life! Is this an object of a joke that you intimate to me

[55] Never", they said, "but we have intimated to you the truth and therefore do not entertain the idea that the thing which seems hopeless makes you despair of Allah's mercy

[56] Who would despair of Allah's mercy", Ibrahim said, " but those who are lost in the maze of error

[57] And now", Ibrahim said, "what is the errand on which you Messengers have come

[58] We have been sent", the Messengers said, "to a sinful people who grow daily more and more wicked

[59] But not the family of Lut (Lot) all of whom will we save

[60] Excepting his wife whom we have determined that she be among those who shall be left behind to share their destiny

[61] And when the Messengers presented themselves to Lut

[62] He said to them: "You are strangers who are foreign to me

[63] But", said the Messengers, "we have brought you the answer to the problem of those who doubted your mission and denied your divine message

[64] And we have brought you the truth and we conduct ourselves in accordance with the divine standard

[65] You just escort your family", they said, "and take them out of this town at the dead hours of the night hanging on their rear and none of you shall look in the direction from which you are going and keep going to where you are commanded

[66] And We informed him of this decree, thus: "These wicked people shall be uprooted by morning

[67] In the interim, there came the city dwellers displaying their gasp of pleasure and joyous delight at the thought of the presence of young men

[68] These are my guests", said Lut, "I beg of you not to bring shame or discredit upon me

[69] And fear Allah and do not disgrace me

[70] Did we not forbid you", they said "to entertain people in your house and defend your principles

[71] There", said Lut, "you may wed my daughters if you must exercise your libidinous desire

[72] To your life, O prophets" he was told, "they -the wicked- are wandering here and there being deceived by their vain illusive sensuous perception which shall melt when the sun beams glow

[73] And there it was: a single cry* from heaven's realm stirred up a merciless blast which overtook them by sun- rise

[74] And We turned those cities -Sodom and Gomorrah- upside down and rained them with fire and successional brimstones as hard as baked clay

[75] These are indeed divine signs making a deep impression on the minds or senses of those who ponder

[76] And the evidence still stands as a scene of dismal devastation to the travelers (in the neighbourhood of the dead sea between Syria and Arabia)

[77] This is indeed a meaningful sign which is quite impressive to those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[78] Thus much did the woodlanders Madyanites wrong themselves and were wrongful of actions

[79] And in consequence we took just-vengeance on them and both sites stand manifest of the events on a course of travel where people can see

[80] Similarly did the dwellers of the rocky territory -the Thamudites- deny the truth of the divine message conveyed to them by the Messengers and were wrongful of actions

[81] And We presented them with Our signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority but they took objection against them and a dislike

[82] And they were carving the mountains into homes wherein they made abode and enjoyed safety and security

[83] Nonetheless a single cry* from heaven's realm stirred up a merciless rumbling earthly convulsion which overtook them by day light

[84] And so be it, what they gained of skill and enjoyed of safety did not profit them nor help them accomplish a useful purpose

[85] Nor did We create the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them but in accordance with reason and truth and for just ends. And the Final predetermined Hour is inevitably coming, therefore, forgive O Muhammad your opponent's human instability with gracious intent

[86] For, it is Allah, indeed who is the Creator of the whole and of all in all and He is the AL-'Alim (the Omniscient)

[87] And We have given you O Muhammad seven reiterative dual verses of opening in Allah's Name: in praise, in thanks, in action and in prayer, and the meritorious Quran which is eminently entitled to the designation, the great

[88] Do not direct your sight wistfully O Muhammad at the advantages We gave to some of the unbelievers among the various sects nor grieve at heart for their disobedience to Allah, and be soft in temper and disposition to those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and take them under your wing

[89] And say: "I hereby declare to the wide circle of the all that I am delegated by Allah to make manifest His warning against denying Him and/or His statutes

[90] Just as We had sent down a warning to those who treated Our Scriptures in the way it suited them dividing them into parts, accepting some and rejecting others

[91] And together with the Pagans they used their underhand scheming to discredit the Quran by fragmenting it into parts, labelling some as sheer poetry, some as legendary and others as divinatory, and fed the pilgrims thoughts with their falsehood

[92] But by Allah, your Creator, there shall come the Day when all of them shall have much to answer for

[93] And all their misdeeds shall be laid to their charge

[94] Therefore, you just proclaim Allah's message O Muhammad and publish all that you have been commanded to declare and attach no importance to those who incorporate with Him other deities

[95] We have guarded you from the danger of those who hold the truth in disdain, and maintain your cause against their cunning which they take for a sinister and crooked wisdom

[96] And they incorporate with Allah other deities, but soon shall they know the logical conclusion and experience the losses and injuries which are the consequent of their crimes

[97] And We do know how much does their vain discourse depress your spirits and oppress your thoughts and your feelings

[98] But you just praise Allah, your Creator, and extoll His glorious attributes and join yourself to those who prostrate themselves to Him in reverence and adoration

[99] And worship Allah, your Creator, until the encounter with death which is indeed a matter of certainty

[1] Allah's decree is inevitably coming to pass and so you Pagans need not reproach the Messenger for divine visitation in a sarcastic and insulting way. How foolish of you to cut off your last hope of forgiveness by wishing scornfully that it, be hastened on; glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes; He is infinitely far beyond those whom they incorporate with Him

[2] He sends down the angels with divinely inspired messages on whom He chooses of His worshippers as He will, enjoining them to inform people of the danger of polytheism and relate to them, thus: "There in no Ilah but I, and so entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Me

[3] He has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with reason and truth and for just ends. He is infinitely far beyond those they incorporate with Him

[4] He created the Adamite from a constituent part of fluid that is emitted*, yet he -the Adamite- is more ready to argue than to obey. He brings forward reasons against Allah with a strong, capacious and argumentative mind

[5] And the cattle He created for you to advantage yourselves of their wool for warmth and you make use of them for other purposes, and they are reared to serve as food for alimentation

[6] And they afford you keen pleasure to the sense of sight when you drive them home and when you lead them to pasture

[7] And they carry your burdens to a land you could not have reached but with hardship and severe toil. Allah, your Creator, is indeed Raufun (Compassionate) and Rahimun (Merciful)

[8] And horses, mules and asses did He create for you to ride and to use as an adornment, and He creates what is yet unknown to you

[9] It is Allah Who indicates to you the path to tread, the path of truth guiding into all truth with some deviating from righteousness. And had He willed, He would have guided you all to the one path leading directly to Him

[10] He is It Who sends down the rain-water from the floor of the vault of heaven suitable to drink and instrumental in springing up vegetation for your cattle to feed

[11] And therewith He causes vegetal growth of corn, olives, palm-trees and grapes and of all kinds of fruits. Indeed, all this is emblematic of Almightiness; food for thought taken by those who are disposed to think

[12] And He reduced for you the night and the day, the sun and the moon to a state of subservience, and He ordered the stars and the planets in subservience to your advantage and your end: signs emblematic of Omnipotence and Authority making a deep impression on the minds of those of sound intellect

[13] Next comes all that He distributed to your necessity and advantage of objects of various glorious colours within and without the surface of the earth displaying collective beauty. This is indeed a great sign, breath-taking and highly impressive to those who keep Allah in mind and lift to Him their inward sight

[14] It is He Who made the sea subservient to you to use as a source of aliment and ornaments. You eat of its fresh and tender meat -fish- and wear of its coral and pearls. And you see the ships cleaving its surface and ploughing its billowy waves. They help you accomplish your objects sought after of His bounty to the end that your bosoms may hopefully surge up and answer thanks

[15] And the earth He furnished with firm stays (mountains) placed in a certain setting, fixed as with an anchor to stabilize* it lest it should sway you from side to side or in all directions. And He furnished it with rivers and road-ways to use as a guide in your travels from one place to another

[16] And other visible signs together with signs in the heavens -the stars- serving as guide-posts to guide people on land and at sea

[17] Therefore, would He Who creates and brings things into existence out of nothingness be likened to him who simply can never create an entity of any kind! can you people not consider this matter and ponder My cause

[18] And if you were to compute the divine favours you wear, you shall find them out of all count; Allah is indeed Ghafurun (Forgiving) and Rahimun

[19] And Allah is 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all that you converse secretly or whisper below your breath and of all that you suggest secretly to the mind, and He is well acquainted with all that the bosoms store of thoughts and feelings and with all that they forge, and He knows what you utter loudly and all that is being said

[20] And those whom they invoke besides Him are incapable of creating an entity of any kind. On the contrary, they themselves have been created

[21] Inanimate dumb idols and lifeless objects insensible to feeling and knowing, unaffected by anything specified. They do not perceive resurrection nor when shall their devotees be resurrected

[22] In point of fact, things all around point clearly to you people that your Ilah is absolutely One Eternal Ilah. Those who deny Him simply close their hearts' ears and their minds' eyes and exercise inordinate self esteem and pride got the better of their prudence

[23] Allah is indeed fully cognizant of all that they converse secretly or whisper under their breath and of what they suggest secretly to the mind, and of all that they openly declare and of all that is being said. He detests the arrogant exercising inordinate self- esteem

[24] And when they are asked if they knew what Allah has revealed, or if they were referred to some illustration from the Quran, they dismiss it contemptuously with the remark: "Fables of old

[25] Such is the disposition of those who shall bear their burdensome lot at Judgment and the burden of their wrongs in full, in addition to the wrongs of those unlearned whom they misled. Evil indeed is the fate of those who are burdened with wrongs and evil indeed are the wrongs they bear

[26] Potent was the cunning of their predecessors that it justified Allah's retributive punishment. He struck them at the roots of their foundation and their roofs collapsed over their heads and they were unexpectedly reduced to a useless form

[27] And at Judgement they shall be put to shame and be asked about the whereabouts of those whom they once presumed divine and contended in their favour with opposing arguments against Allah's Omnipotence and Authority There and then shall the learned say: "This is the Day when disgrace and torment are laid upon those who presumed upon Providence

[28] It is these who persist in doing wrong and continue firmly in the state of disbelief in Allah until the encounter with the angels of death who disembody their souls. There and then they express their willingness to submit to Allah and learn at last acceptance of their lot and claim they never did wrong. But the angels say to them: "But you did, and Allah is indeed 'Alimun of all you did

[29] And now", they add, "make entry through the gates of Hell wherein you will have passed through nature to eternal suffering. Evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant whose pride got the better of their prudence

[30] So would those who entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah be asked if they knew what Allah, their Creator, has revealed! "All that is truthful and virtuous", they say, "and all that was imparted to us of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light". These and such persons whose deeds were imprinted with wisdom and piety in life below shall reap the fruits of their piety. Allah bestows on them His prevenient and efficacious grace here and His efficacious grace is far better for them Hereafter, and how excellent and supreme is the heavenly abode of the God-fearing

[31] It is the Gardens of Eden wherein they enter into the joy of Allah, their Creator, and experience the pleasure afforded by the rivers running directly beneath. Therein they will have whatever object of desire from which pleasure or satisfaction is expected and any wish they express in words or in thought will be instantly fulfilled, for thus does Allah reward those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[32] It is these whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues at the moment they encounter the angels of death who disembody their souls. They -the angels- greet them with the expressions of good will: "Peace be upon you. Make entry into Paradise which is the reward commensurate with your deeds

[33] Do they -the infidels- purpose to wait until some fitting event presents itself and they distinctly perceive the angels or experience the execution of Allah's decree of retributive punishment! Thus much did their predecessors behave and it was not Allah Who did them injustice but it was they who wronged themselves

[34] By consequence, did the evil line of conduct to which they committed themselves and the evil deeds they conferred on themselves spring back and recoil on them, and they were beset on all sides by the same material and immaterial things they had turned in to ridicule

[35] And to excuse their infidelity which it is not possible to justify, the idolaters insolently say: "Had Allah willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped besides Him other gods, nor would we have enforced taboos other than those decreed by Him" Thus much acted their predecessors. But is the Messenger really responsible for any act or a duty other than relating the divine message and the elucidation of its text

[36] And to every nation did We send a Messenger to say to them: " Worship Allah alone and adore Him with appropriate acts and rites and avoid at any cost worshipping anything else irrespective of his or its attribute, be it a human or an idol." And so, among them -the people- there were those whom Allah had guided to His path of righteousness and others who thrived on disobedience and verified Allah's justifiable ordination to their loss in the maze of error

[37] In fact, if you O Muhammad are anxious for their guidance to Allah's path of righteousness, you had better realize that He does not guide those who thrive on disobedience and come within the measure of His wrath, nor shall they find those who afford them help

[38] And they -the Pagans- make a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah -if there be any- or to one of their false gods, -and they are many- that Allah shall never resurrect anyone once he is dead. But indeed He shall. This is a divine promise and the promise of Allah is truth personified but most people do not realize this fact

[39] It is an act of mercy to both the guilty and the innocent- that Allah resurrects the dead and restores them to life to illucidate to them the strained points upon which the whole unreasoning turned and the points which were once in the heat of. dispute so that the infidels who denied Him and/or His statutes realize how unjust they were to themselves and to others to justify their falsehood and assert it as true

[40] Indeed, all it takes when We will to bring anything into existence is simply to say to it: "Be" and it is

[41] And those who fled their homes and homeland by reason of persecution and emigrated to where they could best serve Allah's cause shall be the recipients of His mercy and blessings. We will confer on them Our prevenient and efficacious grace here; the efficacious grace promised Hereafter is indeed far greater if only they knew

[42] These are the votaries who possessed their souls in patience purposed to fulfill their obligation to Allah and satisfy their conscience and their hearts, and in Him they put their trust

[43] And never did Allah send Messengers before you O Muhammad but were men and not angels to whom We inspired Our message. Therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know

[44] We inspired to them clear and plain revelations and signs as well as AL- Zabur (the Psalm) which guide out of darkness and superstitions elf later times and out of want of spiritual and intellectual light into illumination and enlightenment. And We inspired to you O Muhammad the Quran to explain to the people all that has been revealed to them of decrees, ordinances and the fundamental principles of Allah's system of faith and worship so that they may hopefully ponder

[45] And now, do the infidels take their cunning for a sinister and crooked wisdom fraught with mischief and feel secure against Allah's wrath which may speak thunder. It may cause the earth to sink under their feet and assert them as her own, or that they unexpectedly be seized with a calamity from whence they never expected or perceived

[46] Or are they certain in their minds that they shall not be seized with punishment in the midst of their activities, doings or movements and they be able to escape

[47] Or that He shall not punish them by inspiring to them constant sense of danger and cause their gradual fall from power, in His own manner, until it is vanished, -re- conquest of Macca, and many other recent events-, to give them a chance, that at some point they may wake up to their senses. Allah is indeed Ghafurun and Rahimun

[48] Did they -the infidels- not see into Allah's cosmic sign of the shadow, and how everything that He has created casts its shadow -or image- upon a surface by intercepting the direct rays of the great luminary and other luminaries, and how do objects turn their shadows right and left according to the relative position of the source of light, and how such shadows are governed by cosmic laws in comely prostration to Allah incensed by humiliation

[49] And to Allah do all created beings in the heavens and all living creatures on earth prostrate themselves in reverence and adoration and so do the angels who do not display inordinate self-esteem

[50] They entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him and keep in awe of Him, their Creator, Who is far above them and beyond all, and they discharge their duties in obedience to His command

[51] And Allah has emphasized His Oneness and Uniqueness. He repeatedly said: "Do not Worship two gods, He is One and only, and therefore, fear Me and keep in awe of Me alone

[52] To Him belong all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and religion is a duty and an obligation incumbent on all. Therefore, will you all hold in awe of an Ilah other than Allah, the Creator

[53] Do you -people- not realize that all grace abounding in you is the grace of Allah, and when you are befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity it is to Him that you instinctively cry, pray and beseech for help

[54] Yet when He delivers you from what was burdensome and exhaustive to the mind, some of you incorporate with Him other deities

[55] A way of showing ingratitude and the indisposition to acknowledge the benefits received. But you just keep serving the Devil and lust after your sinful system of faith and worship and before long you shall come to know the consequence of denying the truth

[56] They dedicate to their idols, designating them ignorantly as gods, a part of what We apportioned to them of Our bounty -cattle, crops,-, when neither themselves nor their belongings or possessions are really their own, but Allah's own. By Allah, you -infidels- shall have much to answer for and be heavily punished for your intentional assertion of what is false

[57] And in their corrupted minds, they presume upon Allah; they regard the angels as females (the gender they detest) and ascribe them to Him as His daughters; exalted be He. Yet they ascribe to themselves the males, the gender they approve and favourably accept

[58] The moment any of them hears the news of the birth of his own female child, his countenance at once speaks a different language, His eyes shrivel into darkness in his head and he falls into the darkness of dismay

[59] He hides from people or keeps out of sight to conceal the news, which allegedly defames him and blackens his repute. He does not know whether to keep his child alive and be both defamed and despised or bury her in the dust and consign her and the news to oblivion. Evil indeed is the resolution uniting their evil thoughts

[60] If these infidels who deny the Hereafter were to be likened in a parable to anything material or immaterial to represent their attributes, their image shall always stand similitude exact of evil, whereas if we were to represent Allah in a parable we find Him above all comparison and like unto Him there is none. And if His attributes were represented in a parable they shall be summed up in the word "Perfection" personified. and He is AL-Aziz (the Almighty) and AL-Hakim (the Wise)

[61] And if Allah were to punish the people for their wrong or evil doings the minute they commit themselves to such a line of conduct, He would not allow one single living creature domiciled on earth to remain thereon, but He respites them to a predetermined point of time (that they may hopefully repent). And when their time is fulfilled never shall they be able to delay it or anticipate it for one hour or infinitely less

[62] And they ascribe to Allah the female gender which they themselves detest and they give a speaking tongue to falsehood at the grossness of which; common sense revolts. They presume upon Allah that all that is good and pleasing shall fall to their lot. It is no wonder that Hell shall be the sea of misery into which their sail be rushed

[63] Rest assured O Muhammad by Allah, your Creator, We sent Messengers before you to nations who preceded in order of time. 'They presented them with the spirit of truth guiding into all truth. But AL-Shaytan (Satan) allured them to brighter worlds as a logical result or sequence to their doings and he led the way then and he leads it now amid the encircling gloom wherein he leads them by the nose, but they shall suffer painfully for it

[64] And We send down the Book -the Quran- to you O Muhammad only to serve Allah's purpose and be of service in effecting Allah's object of illucidating to the various sects and to the people at large the strained points upon which the whole unreasoning turns and the points in the heat of dispute. 1t is the spirit of truth that guides into all truth as well as a mercy to those whose hearts are imprinted with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[65] And it is Allah Who sends down rain-water from the floor of the vault of heaven wherewith He revives the earth after it has suffered death. This is indeed emblematic of Almightiness; food for thought that is taken by those who are disposed to listen

[66] And you certainly have a sermon in cattle, serving as an incitement and exhortation to you people. We supply you with a drink from their bellies, a drink produced -under specific circumstances- in the breasts by conjoint action between chyle -the product of chyme or digested food in the intestines- and blood -which carries to the breasts all necessary aliment and elements- and there flows wholesome Milk, pure white and palatable to those who drink it

[67] And out of the date-palm and the vine you extract sweet Juices, and other wholesome beverages; another sign, among the marvels of Allah, esteemed highly by those who reflect

[68] And Allah has inspired the bees with the instinct of building their homes or hives in the mountains, on the trees and in the trellis (constructed for the climbing trees amid their habitations)

[69] And to collect their food from the nectar produced by the blossoms of the various kinds of fruits and to tread the paths to which Allah, their Creator, has guided them -by way of a natural and innate antenna-. There issues from their bellies a nutritious juicy drink of varying hues affording remedy to people. Indeed, this is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace appreciated by people who ponder

[70] And Allah is He Who brought you people into being and caused you to exist. Then He disembodies your souls and deprives you of animate existence, and among you is he who is carried through the stealing steps of age to advanced life that he loses the wits once about him and he loses remembrance of the knowledge he formerly mastered and he becomes the abject heir of an illustrious name

[71] And it is Allah Who privileged some of you with more livelihood than others and made His grace abound more in some than in others. And those who are privileged will not go shares with what has fallen to their lot with those whom they have on hand -captives, slaves,- so that they be as the master, so the man. How then do they make Allah go shares with His servants! Is this not simply a denial of His grace which abounds in them

[72] And it is Allah Who provided you with wives and mated you to your kind and from them did He bless you with sons and grandsons, and provisioned you with the wholesome sustenance of victuals, eatables and drinkables. Is it then that they -the infidels- assert or vindicate falsehood and will not esteem Allah's efficacious grace abounding in them

[73] Yet they worship besides Allah objects with no power to provision them from the heavens or from the earth with one part or infinitely less of their sustenance or the necessities of life nor can they possibly do that

[74] And you infidels must realize that Allah is beyond all comparison and like unto Him there is none. Therefore, do not set to Him examples nor express to Him comparisons and parables nor draw similes between Him and created beings, animate or inanimate, for He Knows and you do not

[75] Allah cites an instance of two men in illustration of a general truth. One is a slave, the property of his master, who is divested of freedom and personal rights, the other is the master in whom Our grace abounds; he is free to spend in divine service and/or in other services secretly and publicly. Can they produce or achieve something equal or possess a like degree in any aspect of life! Never. Therefore, how can Allah the Creator of all be equaled with any being! Praise be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes, but most of them do not realize this fact

[76] Again Allah cites an instance of two other men in illustration of a general truth: one of them is mute, unable to accomplish anything, totally dependent on his master for his livelihood. Wherever he sends him to perform a work he utterly fails to accomplish the desired end. Does he compare width his master who is whole just and keeps on the path of righteousness

[77] And it is Allah alone Who is Omniscient of all the hidden, the unknown and the mysteries in the heavens and the earth which are beyond human knowledge or comprehension. The bringing about of the Eventful Event of the predetermined Hour takes no more time than that taken in the twinkle of an eye or even less; Allah is Qadirun indeed over all things

[78] And it is Allah Who brought you of your mothers' wombs to the external world unconscious of your surroundings, devoid of intellectual acquaintance or with perception of your environment and empty of all knowledge, and He provided you with the faculties of hearing and vision faculties divine, and He implanted in you the seat of feeling, understanding and thought –intellect- that you may hopefully be thankful

[79] Do they -the infidels- not apply their sight and direct their intellectual eye to the birds moving through mid air at the floor of the vault of heaven! No one keeps them equipoise but Him Who designed their construction and made it fit to the object in view. Is this not indeed emblematic of Almightiness and Omnipotence to which bow those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

[80] And it is Allah Who made of your homes a place inspiring calm and peace of mind, and of the skins of animals or hides He provided you with portable dwellings -tents- easy to carry in your travels from place to place and to pitch them where you choose to rest. And from their wool, their fur and their hair did He furnish you with movable articles, goods and chattels to enjoy up to a predetermined point of time

[81] And it is Allah Who made the trees and other objects He created cast shadows* when they intercept light to protect you from the scorching heat of the sun and He hollowed out for you caves in the hills and the mountains to shelter you and He equipped you with garments to protect you from the heat and other garments -armours- to shield you from the weapons when you contend in warfare. Thus does Allah mean to make all grace abound in you that you may hopefully conform to Islam

[82] Should they yet O Muhammad turn a deaf ear, you incur no blame, for you are responsible only for relating the divine message and the illucidation of its text

[83] These infidels are fully aware of Allah's grace abounding in them, but their wrongful actions and their unpious and unwise deeds bespeak clearly of the denial of Allah's merited or unmerited favours. And those of them who do not acknowledge Allah's goodwill constitute the majority

[84] The day shall come when We summon a witness from every nation -the Messenger sent to them- to testify of his peoples' response. There and then never shall those who denied Allah be permitted to plea in justification of their deeds of inequity. And if they invoke His forgiveness, never will heaven respond favourably to their invocation

[85] And on the Day the wrongful of actions are confronted with the torment laid on the damned, never shall it be mitigated nor be put in respite

[86] And when those who incorporated with Allah other deities see their predominant partners, they shall say: "These, O Allah, are our partners whom we invoked besides You". But the predominant partners shall cast back the charge and say to them: "You are indeed liars

[87] There and then shall they -the infidels- resign themselves to the will of Allah and be forsaken and renounced by those whom they presumed to share with Allah His divine nature

[88] Those who denied Allah and stood in the way to prevent His spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth shall have much to answer for. We will double their punishment. They shall be requited for the denial of Allah and for obstructing divine truth and creating discord

[89] The day shall come when We summon a witness from every nation, the Messenger who evolved from their midst and conveyed Our message, to testify of his peoples' response and We summon you O Muhammad to testify of your peoples' response. The Book -the Quran- which We sent down to you is the fountain-head of divine knowledge and the chief source of divine information. It illucidates every aspect of every thought and it is a guide into all truth and a mercy extended to the people and a joyful tidings to those who conformed to Islam

[90] Allah enjoins justice and deeds of wisdom and piety, and benevolence to those of your kindred who are in need. And He forbids all that is wrongful and obscene, all that is offensive and excites disgust and unwarranted severe course of action. He exhorts you and urges you to what is good and laudable, that you may hopefully heed

[91] And fulfill the solemn promise if you make one and keep the vow and do not break the. oaths after being ratified and after you have made solemn appeal to Allah in witness thereof; Allah knows all that you do

[92] Do not be like the unstable workwoman who unravels and breaks the strands of her woven fabric after she has manufactured it in a loom by crossing the warp and the weft and interlaced them very strongly. What a tangled web you weave when first you practice to deceive. You use your oaths among yourselves with the guilt of deception residing in the intention; you break and dishonour your vows with the weak when you find them more advantageous with the strong. This is unexcusable nor is it in conformity with Islamic principles. Allah tests your prudence and in Day of Judgment shall He clear up matters with which you were at variance

[93] Had Allah willed He would have made all of you one conjoint body united in feeling and thought, but He deafens the heart's ears of whom He pleases and opens the mind's eyes of whom He will

[94] And do not carelessly use your oaths among yourselves to practise deception lest one's foot should slide and lose its hold after it has been holding in a stable position and you suffer the evil consequence for precluding Allah's spirit of truth from guiding into all truth and you suffer the torment laid upon the damned

[95] Nor dishonour My covenant or exchange it for the vanity of the fleeting and ephemeral world. What Allah has in store for those who honour their vows is indeed in superlatives if only you knew

[96] What you people may have of advantages shall come to an end or cease to exist whereas what Allah has is eternal and everlasting, and We will richly reward those who possessed their souls in patience which was purposed to fulfill their obligation to Allah and satisfy their conscience and their hearts. Their reward shall be assessed at the gauge of the best of their deeds

[97] Anyone whose deeds are imprinted with wisdom and piety, be it male or female, and whose heart with the image of religious and spiritual virtues shall be made to enjoy a good and happy life that is worth living and We will reward them Hereafter at the gauge of the best of their worldly deeds

[98] And when you recite the Quran begin with the opening formula of seeking Allah's help against satanic secret suggestions to the mind, thus: "To You O Allah do I commit myself counter to AL-Shaytan the accursed

[99] He has no influence on those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand and in Allah they trust

[100] But he exerts influence upon those who take him as a tutelary guardian and incorporate with Allah other deities

[101] If We happen to exchange a revelation which has already served its purpose for another revelation appropriate for the new circumstance, and Allah knows exactly what to reveal and when, they -the infidels- accuse your O Muhammad of forgery. Indeed, most of them do not know the facts nor do they reflect

[102] Say to them: "This and that and all divine revelations are being conveyed by the Holy Spirit from Allah, my Creator, to strengthen -in opinion, action and purpose- those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand and they are joyful tidings to those who have conformed to Islam

[103] And We do know what they say, thus: "He -Muhammad- is being taught by a man who dictates to him the words he expresses to the people". But the man they refer to is foreign while the Quran is being revealed in plain Arabic literary form

[104] Indeed, those who deny Allah's revelations shall not be blessed with Allah's guidance to His path of righteousness and must expect the torment which shall be laid upon the damned

[105] Those who intentionally assert falsehood are but those who deny Allah's revelations and it is they who lie in their teeth

[106] He who renounces his faith in Allah after he has conformed his will earlier to His will shall suffer for it unless he has been forced to do so by persecution and assault but deep down he preserves a heart happily maintaining the image of religious and spiritual virtues. But he who cunningly and deceptively incites someone to reject the idea of Faith and allures him or her to brighter worlds shall have come within the measure of Allah's wrath and these are they who shall pass through nature to eternal suffering

[107] This is on account of their love for life here afore that Hereafter, besides the fact that Allah does not guide those who deny Him to His path of righteousness

[108] These are they whose hearts has Allah imprinted with dullness of Comprehension and whose faculties of hearing and sight with lack of perception and these are the heedless

[109] It is no wonder that Hereafter shall they be the captive victors who have lost in gain

[110] Nevertheless, Allah, your Creator, accepts true repentance and the atonement made by the people. Therefore, those who emigrated to where they could best serve Allah, after they had suffered persecution and were forced to turn renegade, and strove in Allah's cause. and endured the hardships with patience and perseverance shall find Allah indeed Ghafurun and Rahimun

[111] The Day shall come when each soul pleads on behalf of itself and is requited with what is commensurate with its deeds and never shall they be wronged

[112] Allah represents the fate of those who rebelled against His law by means of a parable of the town in which His grace abounded in security and peace of mind and in rich supplies of provisions from every direction. But instead of content living ever in thankful hearts, its heart beat rebellious to its own resolves and was rendered ungrateful to Allah and disobedient to His laws. By consequence He incensed it by humiliation and vested it with hunger and fear devolving upon it in requital of what its peoples' souls had impelled them to do

[113] A Messenger who evolved in their midst was sent to them with the spirit of truth guiding into all truth, but they denied Our message and accused him of falsehood. In consequence, they came within the measure of Our wrath and were made to suffer for their perpetual iniquities

[114] These were people who refused to acknowledge the true source of the bounty. Therefore, eat O you Muslims of what We provisioned you; it is all replete with choice of all delight and enjoy all that is pure lawful, wholesome and not forbidden, and be thankful to Allah for His grace

[115] He only forbids you to eat the flesh of a dead beast and blood, the flesh of swine and the flesh of a beast slaughtered under the invocation of a- name other than that of Allah. But under compelling circumstances and not through willful disobedience and transgression shall Allah admit of relaxation that no sin is incurred; Allah is indeed Ghafurun and Rahimun

[116] Do not give a speaking tongue to falsehood at the grossness of which common sense revolts. You create taboos for yourselves out of superstition and designate this as lawful and that as forbidden, wherefore you assert what is false and ascribe it to Allah. Those who relate falsehood to Allah or wittingly endeavour by falsification of words to make things seem divine which are not, shall never be graced with prosperity from heaven, nor with success

[117] They derive pleasure and satisfaction from their falsehood but the pleasure it affords them is of short duration, then comes the encounter with the torment laid upon the damned

[118] As to the Jews, We forbade them -for their iniquities- the things We have already mentioned to you O Muhammad earlier* We never wronged them but it was they who always wronged themselves

[119] Nevertheless, Allah, your Creator, always extends mercy and forgiveness to those who wrong themselves in ignorance and repent thereafter imprinting their deed with wisdom and piety; Allah, your Creator, is indeed Ghafurun and Rahimun

[120] Ibrahim (Abraham) was indeed a perfect example of excellence, submissive to the will of Allah and an Orthodox Muslim. He never incorporated with Allah other deities

[121] He was always thankful for the grace of Allah abounding in him; Allah chose him and guided him to His path of righteousness

[122] And We bestowed upon him Our prevenient and efficacious grace here and he shall be a crown to the virtuous Hereafter

[123] And We inspired to you O Muhammad what We ordained: that you follow the system of faith and worship followed by Ibrahim, the orthodox Muslim who never incorporated with Allah other deities

[124] The Sabbath was imposed on those who were hard hearted and always disputed with their prophet and argued against its validity and its timing -the Jews- Saturday and the Christians -Sunday- and many among them defiantly and shamefully broke it. And they shall always contend with opposing arguments until Allah settles their dispute in Day of Judgement

[125] Invite people O Muhammad graciously to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness, with wise, graceful and appropriate inducements meeting them on their own ground and propitiating them, each in his own capacity, to open their hearts' ears and their minds' eyes. Reason with them in a logical, peaceable and gracious manner; Allah, your Creator, knows best those who have wandered from His path of righteousness and He knows best those who steer a straight course and Providence their guide

[126] And if you should inflict punishment, exact a retribution or make reprisals for injury, harm or wrong, then you may avenge your right with a similar injury and to the same extent. But if you bear the wrong and bear with the wrongful -as an obligation to Allah and not a reflection of human weakness- you shall possess your souls, derive great benefits and advantage yourselves of Allah's expectative grace

[127] And have patience O Muhammad, show forbearance under their provocation and bear with them their faults and limitations. For in patience, you apply yourself unto Allah Who consoles your soul and your heart unto wisdom which alleviates your mental distress. And do not be grieved at heart for their denial of the divine message and for their hearts which dare rise defiant against Allah. Nor should you be sorely distressed on account of their cunning which they take for a sinister and crooked wisdom

[128] Rest assured that Allah upholds those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him, who perfect their illustrious toils and turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence

[1] Glory be to Allah and extolled are His glorious attributes attendant upon His manifestation of conducting His servant by night from the Sacrosanct Mosques - Macca- to the Farthest Mosque,- Jerusalem whose precincts We had blessed. A journey that was planned without the factor of time or that of space to show him our spiritual world and some of Our signs evincing both Our Almightiness and Omnipresence. Allah is indeed AL-Sami' (Omnipresent) with unlimited audition and AL-Bassir (He clearly sees all things)

[2] It was within these precincts which constituted the heart of the Sacred environs that Bani Isra‘il (the Children of Israel) were directed to make their abode and We sent to them Mussa to whom We gave the Book,-AL-Tawrah (Torah)- which was a guide into all truth, and We enjoined them thus: "Take no tutelary guardian", We said, "other than Me

[3] They were the progeny of those whom We carried in the Ark with Nuh (Noah) who was a thankful worshipper in whose heart reigned piety and gratitude

[4] We foretold Bani Israel in the Book, thus: "You shall occasion two events of self-induced misfortunes; twice shall your arrogance stir you up to exaltation and be your greatest incitement of evil to the end that you shall go to the mischief and create discord

[5] When in due time the first occasion came to pass We humbled your arrogance by wedding you to a calamity. We sent against you servants of Ours invested with merciless power and martial daring who penetrated deep in the land and made their way right through your homes, and there the mission was accomplished and the promise fulfilled

[6] When the conquerors abounded in self - conceit and you humbled yourselves to Allah We gave you mastery over them and We made you abound more in numerosity

[7] There, you can see that if you imprint your deeds with wisdom and piety and conduct yourselves with prudence, you advantage yourselves of good behavior. But if you should bode ill, misbehave or commit yourselves to an evil line of conduct you will have harmed your own souls. Then, when in due time the second occasion* came to pass you were overpowered and vanquished that your countenances spoke a different language. Your eyes shriveled into darkness in your heads and you fell into the darkness of dismay and they -the enemies- broke into you Temple as they did once before and reduced to ruins all that they acquired

[8] May Allah, your Creator have mercy on you; but should you resume your iniquities, We will in turn resume Our retributive punishment. We have made Hell for the infidels the dungeon's grim confines

[9] This Quran does indeed guide to the best way of moral rightness which has had everlasting residence in the character of the Godhead and to the uprightness of decision. It announces joyful tidings to those who acknowledge Allah with hearts impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and with deeds of wisdom and piety; they shall be recipients of a great reward

[10] As it announces an ominous destiny to those who deny the Day of Judgement that they must expect the torment laid upon the damned

[11] Man moves quickly and sometimes unjustly (as in response to slander) to invoke evil upon people as he moves quickly to invoke a blessing upon them, for man has a natural propensity in him to be unduly hasty of spirit

[12] We made the night and the day two outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace. We effaced the light from the entity of the night and put it out in obscure darkness to hide things from view. We made the day a visible entity for objects to be perceptible by the sense of sight in order to betake yourselves to Providence, for His bounty, and in order to know the number of the years. Also to reckon the time occupied by the sun in its apparent passage through the signs of the Zodiac and the period of the earth's revolution round the sun forming a natural unit of time and you be able to compute time and determine it by calculation. And everything did We expound and make plain and abounding in detail

[13] We encircled the neck of every human being with a bird of omen, (as it were) auguring well or ill, and in Day of Judgement will We present each with a book bearing his precise record laid open to view

[14] There and then shall each be told, thus: "Read your own book and enough is your secret self be today your judge

[15] Indeed, he who is steered by the spirit of truth into all truth and Providence his guide benefits his own soul, and he who errs and strays from the path of truth and righteousness will prejudice his own soul. No soul bearing wrongs or not, will in any way bear the wrong of another, nor would We inflict a penalty on a people until We had sent to them a Messenger serving as a spectacle and a warning and they counselled deaf

[16] And when We justly decide to do away with a town by reason of obliquity, We incite those of its people who live in luxury to indulge in the style of shameless luxury, and there comes to be what was predicted beforehand that they were born to be losers and We reduce it to a useless form

[17] How many generations have We uprooted since the period in the life of Nuh, and enough is Allah, your Creator, to hold prescience and be an eyewitness of the iniquities of His servants

[18] He who wishes to go by the world and its fleeting, evanescent and ephemeral enjoyment and glory will find Allah moving quickly to respond to whom He will and apportion to him what He will, but in the end We will make Hell his abode where he sits brooding on its vast abyss, censured, despised and rejected

[19] But he who chooses the Hereafter and has purposed that it be the heart of his purpose and directs his efforts to fulfilling the requirements incidental to this end with a heart impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues shall, he and such persons find that heir endeavor is esteemed and highly appreciated

[20] Those and these are given what is apportioned to them. We bestow on both of them of our bounty and never was the bounty of Allah, your Creator, confinable to any limits

[21] See how We distinguish some in status, rank or fortune above others! And by the same token have We made the Hereafter excel here below and be the world of choice

[22] Do not set up with Allah another god nor incorporate with Him other deities lest you should be censured and left abandoned and forsaken

[23] Allah, your Creator, has ordained, that you worship no one but Him and you adore Him with appropriate acts and rites and that you commit your parents to your kind care. When one or both of them attain old age they expect your friendly disposition by your conduct to them. Therefore do not offend them by giving vent to an exclamation of impatience or disgust nor should you rebuke or reprimand them and let your dissertation with them be a sweet discourse

[24] And lower to them the wing of power in humility, standing manifest of kindness and mercy and invoke Allah to be merciful to them and express your invocatory prayer in words, thus: O Allah, my Creator, I pray and beseech you to extend to them Your mercy in return for bringing me up and setting me on my feet which confess their toilsome care for me in my childhood

[25] Allah, my Creator, knows best your thoughts and feelings and all that is stored in your innermost being. If you happen to be virtuous, He is indeed forgiving to those who in lowliest plight repentant stand

[26] And render to the poor being of kin his due and also to the needy and to the wayfarer who does not have the means for transportation, but do not expend extravagantly or wastefully

[27] Indeed, the wasteful given to useless or excessive expenditure are the twins of the satanic, and AL-Shaytan has been rebellious, disobedient and ungrateful to Allah, his Creator

[28] But if you happen to keep away from those of them who are needy in expectation of Allah's mercy to help you be helpful to them, then let your dissertation with them, until then, be a sweet discourse

[29] And do not bind your hand to your neck, as it were, unwilling to give or spend anything, nor should you spread it in the "spread-eagle style", lest you sit brooding on the vast abyss of reprimand and woeful want

[30] Indeed, Allah, your Creator, gives livelihood generously and confers support gratuitously to whom He will and He also gives with restraint and by measure to whom He will. He has always been Khabirun (Omniscient) and Bassirun, (Omnipresent) whose constant vigilance is extended to all His creatures

[31] Do not kill your children for fear of want. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, killing them was a flagrant violation of Allah's system of faith and worship and a major sin

[32] Nor should you commit adultery. It is a forbidden sexual union, regarded by Allah as an immoral act, a degrading vice and an evil line of conduct

[33] Nor should you deprive anyone of life Allah has made sacred, unless be justified for a proved crime. And if someone has been killed wrongfully, then his next of kin is authorized by Allah to use the means of procuring redress of grievances through avenging his right or forgiveness, (court of law, now). But should he choose to avenge his right, he must not carry it to excess, for the divine law is on his side

[34] Nor should you encroach upon the property of the orphan, unless it be with the motive principle of improving, advancing or raising it to be a better quality or condition, until he reaches maturity and be able to take charge of it. Fulfill the solemn promise if you should make one and keep the vow and meet your engagements and obligations. A vow is great responsibility and those who break it shall have much to answer for in Day of Judgement

[35] Dispense the quantity ascertained by measuring to the full if you happen to sell by a standard measure. And if you are using the method of weighing then you are enjoined to use an accurate and precise balance conforming to a standard, and an exemplar of truth and equity. This is a wise course of action ensuring safety and leading to the intended purpose

[36] And do not gratify your desire or inclination to pursue a subject of which you have no knowledge nor charge anyone with a fault or a crime when you are not sure of his guilt nor pursue vain things which will avail you nothing. Indeed, he faculties of hearing, sight and intellect, each and all, are held responsible in Day of Judgement and shall have much to answer for

[37] Nor should you walk on earth displaying inordinate self-esteem or with an overweening opinion of your qualities, attainments or estate, for even if the incessant tread of your feet wear the rough stones smooth, you shall not be able to rend the earth nor shall you be able to level to a mountain in height

[38] Of all such attributes, those that have a name of evil savour stand in Allah's sight accursed and deserving of hatred

[39] These -the above mentioned attributes- are maxims expressing some of the manifestation of wisdom Allah, your Creator, has inspired to you. He has issued a mandate commanding that you people do not associate with Him another Ilah nor incorporate with Him other deities lest you should be thrown into Hell where you sit brooding on the vast abyss of reprimand and rejection

[40] Do you -infidels- really believe that Allah, your Creator, has committed to you the sons and ascribed to Himself the daughters from among the angels! In effect what you put in words to describe your thoughts of Him is indeed malicious, slanderous, blasphemous and of grave consequence

[41] We have expounded and oriented Our revelations in this Quran to circumstances and requirements so as to bring them -the infidels- to their senses, yet they do what is contrary to that normally expected. They push themselves away from it with an averted state of mind and feelings and with a mental attitude of opposition and repugnance

[42] Say to them: If indeed He had, as they say, associate deities who share His divine nature, His Omnipotence and His Authority, then they would have certainly sought out a way to expropriate Him of His throne, His rights and His Exclusive Authority

[43] Praise be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes, He is infinitely far above the impiety they utter against Him

[44] The seven heavens and the earth and all animate and inanimate beings therein praise His glory and extoll His glorious attributes. There is not one single creature but displays outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace reflecting Allah's Omnipotence and Exclusive Authority, but you -infidels- do not apprehend their way of ascribing His glory. Indeed, He has always been Halimun (Forbearing) and Ghafurun (Forgiving)

[45] When you Muhammad recite the Quran We interpose an invisible screen between you and those who deny the Hereafter to keep their better nature isolated from the truth

[46] We enshrouded their hearts to preclude them from exercising intellectual power or understanding and struck them deaf so that nothing that engages the intellect would come to their hearing. These are the people whose hearts dare rise defiant against Allah; when you recite the Quran and Allah is mentioned as the sole Omnipotent and Exclusive Authority, they insolently turn their backs upon you with a mental attitude of opposition and repugnance

[47] We do know the reason why they lend you their ears when they listen to you O Muhammad; they are reticent about their intention disclosed only in their secret counsel. They turn what they hear to ridicule albeit their nature or innermost being is attracted to the divine discourse. To keep their nobility and authority in the status quo, the wrongful of actions publicly declare, thus: "You people" they say, "only follow a man who has witchcraft in his lips and you foolishly hang on to them

[48] See how they describe you O Muhammad in irrelevant similies reflecting deviation of mind and thought that they are unable to strike on the path of truth that guides into all truth

[49] They say in wonderment: " Do you mean that after we have been reduced to bones and dust we shall be restored to life and be created anew

[50] Say to them: "So be it, even if you were converted into stones or iron

[51] Or any other material you have in mind and you know it is beyond animation" There and then they shall say: "who will then restore us to life?" Say to them: "He who brought you into being and caused you to exist in the first creation". There, they shall shake their heads to you in doubt and ask: "When". Say to them: "It may well be quite soon

[52] This shall be the Day when He summons you all from the graves and you rise praising the O Allah and ascribing His glory

[53] Tell My servants O Muhammad who declare or state in words a specified fact, thought, opinion or intention, an event or a remark or the like to say what is friendly, favourable and laudatory and to keep a civil tongue in their heads, for AL-Shaytan is on the alert for an occasion to divide mankind and set them at variance and to stir up enmity among them. Indeed AL-Shaytan has always been to man an avowed enemy

[54] Allah, your Creator, knows best your disposition. He has mercy on you if He will or if He will He inflicts you with punishment, and We did not send you to the people to be their tutelary guardian

[55] Allah, your Creator, knows best all creatures, the animate and the inanimate in the heavens and on earth and We invested some prophets with more privileges than we invested others and We gave David the Psalms

[56] Say to the infidels who incorporate with Allah other deities "Ask earnestly or humbly or make a devout supplication to those objects of worship whom you suppose share with Allah His divine nature and you shall realize that they shall utterly fail to respond. They have neither the power to relieve you from what is burdensome and exhaustive to the mind nor the influence to avert it either

[57] Those to whom they make a devout supplication -Saints, jinn or angels- are themselves devout servants of Allah seeking the union of their nature with the Divine, and striving which of them shall be the nearest to Allah and the more efficient in serving His purpose! They entertain expectation of His mercy and they dread His retributive punishment. Indeed, the punishment Allah, your Creator, inflicts on the offender makes one heedful, for the thought of it arouses an emotional feeling tinged with latent and deep mysterious fear

[58] There is not one single town but shall suffer destruction before The Day of Judgement or We make them suffer the torment We lay upon the damned, an ordinance that has been decreed and entered in the archetypal Book

[59] In fact nothing prevented Us from sending you O Muhammad to the people with the power of working miracles to evince both your mission and Allah's Omnipotence and Rightful Authority except that people of bygone times refused to acknowledge them. Among them were the Thamudites to whom We sent the she –camel- as an evident and undoubted sign, but they mistreated her without due regard and wronged themselves. We only authorize the work of miracles so that the people be moved with a mingled feeling of dread and reverence toward Allah and realize the evil consequence of disobeying or denying Him

[60] And for once We told you O Muhammad that Allah, your Creator, surrounds all people on all sides -therefore declare Allah's message and do not be afraid ever-. We only made you see the vision of glory We presented to you in your night journey through the spiritual world to test the inclination of the people and their spiritual and moral attributes. The same purpose was also served by the accursed tree growing in the bottom of Hell to feed the sinners. We purposed that the infidels be moved with a mingled feeling of dread and veneration toward Allah and realize the evil consequence of disobeying and denying Him. But on the contrary, it only makes them sink deeper under the vexations of their minds, run riot and transgress the goal

[61] We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam in adoration", and they prostrated to him in comely order, praise and admiration except Iblis AL- Shaytan-to-be who said: "Shall I prostrate myself before him whom You created from clay

[62] And he added: "Do you see that creature whom you treated with more honour than you treated me!" "If You grant me respite from death till The Day of Judgement, I will bridle his progeny, control them and misguide them excepting a few

[63] Reprieve is granted", said Allah, "wherefore you and those of them who follow you shall suffer the fatal consequence. Hell shall be requital enough of the manner you conducted yourselves in life

[64] Entice those of them whom you can allure to brighter worlds with your whispering voice and assault them by any manner of means, be it cavalry or infantry or any other means, and go shares with them in their ill-gotten gains and in their illegitimate children, and give them fair words and large promises to fair the foul and to arouse in them vain desires. In effect what AL-Shaytan promises them is only what is vain, deceptive and deluding

[65] Indeed, My devout servants" Allah added, "do not come under your authority nor have you the power to influence their conduct or actions and enough is Allah, your Creator, to be their Tutelary Guardian

[66] It is Allah, your Creator, Who keeps the ships afloat and makes them move on the surface of the sea to be of service in effecting your objects which are sought after of His Bounty. Indeed, He has been always Rahimun (Merciful) to you

[67] And when you are befallen with a misfortune or with a distressful condition at sea, there vanish into thin air those whom you invoke besides Him. And when He delivers you safe ashore you turn away from Him! It is a pity that man has always been inclined to display no gratitude

[68] Do you -infidels- feel really secure and in your minds you are sure that He who is in heaven's realm will not cause that shore bordering on the sea where you disembark to sink down below your feet and you disappear utterly in its depth! Or that He will not make you suffer the disastrous consequences of a whirlwind and a sand dune and no one will you find then to afford you protection or to render void Our decree

[69] Or do you feel really secure and in your minds you are sure that He will not send you back to sea on another occasion and send against you a gale of considerable strength that drowns you in requital of your ingratitude and no avenger will you find to exact satisfaction or retaliate upon Us on your behalf

[70] We have honoured the Adamites and We provided them with means of transportation to carry them on land and at sea and We provisioned them with the good wholesome victuals and We placed them in a class distinctly above many of Our creatures and We ascribed to them distinguished attributes. We furnished them with powers of the mind -the will, the reason and the perception of truth or fact, theoretical and practical understanding of art, science, language- and many other faculties

[71] And the Day shall come when We summon all people, each nation with their respective leader who is to bear witness to the behavior of his people and the way they conducted themselves in life. There and then he who is given his book of his record in life in his right hand shall he and such persons be delighted to read their records and no one shall ever be wronged not even to the equivalent of a single hair of the dry integument of the smallest seed

[72] And he who has been blind here below and has been lacking in intellectual, moral and spiritual perception shall be jus as blind Hereafter, having no opening for light as if he were lost in blind mazes of entangled wood

[73] They -the infidels- tried their best to tempt you O Muhammad and incite you to make some concessions. They thought they almost seduced you into a course of action totally undivine

[74] Had We not confirmed you and influenced your heart and mind and impelled to the feeling of authority and security of position you would have gone along with them up to a point, thinking that with making a small concession you would succeed in fulfilling the divine mission

[75] But then, by consequence, We would have made you taste a double punishment in life and at death, besides the second death, and no protector would be found to render void Our decree

[76] They were resolved to impel you to the feeling of fear to make you resolve to quit the land and depart from Macca. But then they would have been allowed to remain only for a short while to come to the end of their rope wherefore We vanquish them and reduce them into a useless form

[77] This has always been Allah's way of action which has long been pursued in the past with those of the Messengers whom We had sent before you in order of time. Each typical instance formed a particular case of a principle and a single instance of punishment. This mode of action, you will find, shall never alter

[78] You just engage in the act of worship and hold intimate mental and spiritual intercourse with Allah at the point of time of the sun's declination or deviation from the Meridian or the zenith of the sky as it begins to sink toward setting and onward to the time when the darkness of the night prevails* And noteworthy is the Quran when recited at dawn. Indeed recital of the Quran at dawn is of great moment and a goodly loan. It inspires piety to the heart and makes the soul sensible of the presence of Allah; it is attended by the angels who witness its perusal

[79] And rouse up during the hours of the night to additional devotional exercise which is meritorious and adds to your credit; may Allah, your Creator, elevate you to a position of great honour, excellence and glory

[80] And call upon Allah in your invocatory prayer thus: "O Allah, my Creator, may I ask You to make my entry upon the stage of life an entry by the gate of truth wherefore I stay my course in accordance with the divine standard. And make O Allah, my Creator, my exit at the end of my doings and from the scene of life an egress vested with fidelity, truthfulness, virtue and integrity, and invest me, my Creator, with the divine insignia of power and authority

[81] And say: "Truth has now prevailed and falsehood has eventually perished, for falsehood is always apt to perish in the wreck of time

[82] And We have send down, from the realm of heaven, of the Quran what serves as a remedy and a mercy to those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues whereas it adds to the detriment of the wrongful of actions

[83] When We mercifully bring man in Our grace and show it in Our munificence, he feels impelled to move away and more distant from what Allah inclines him to propound, and when he is befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity he nurses despair

[84] Say to them: "Every one acts according to his inherent and innate disposition or character, and Allah, your Creator, knows quite well who exercises his will to the best to accept Allah's Authority, espouse His cause and keep in His path

[85] And they ask you O Muhammad about the spirit

[86] If We willed, We could erase from your mind or memory O Muhammad all that We have inspired to you of divine discourse, and you shall find no one to plead on your behalf or render void Our decree

[87] But it is only through the mercy of Allah, your Creator, that it continues to be preserved. Indeed, great is His bounty and much is His grace that abound in you

[88] Say to them "It could not be more emphasized that if both mankind and the Jinn should come together to compose a divine discourse of a like nature to the Quran, never shall they be able to produce a discourse of its likeness even with the help of one party to the other

[89] We have expounded and oriented Our revelations in the Quran to circumstances and requirements and We quoted every typical instance forming a particular case of a principle, yet most people simply refuse to acknowledge the truth and will not express esteem nor gratitude

[90] They say to you O Muhammad: "We will not believe in you until you have caused water to rise and flow in a constant stream out of the ground

[91] Or until you have an orchard enclosing palm-trees and vines and you cause the earth to cleave in its midst forming channels for water to flow in copious streams like rolling rivers with murmuring flows that flow forever

[92] Or until you have caused the sky to fall on our heads in pieces as you assumed it would, or until you have brought before our eyes Allah and His angels together

[93] Or until we have seen you residing in a house adorned with gold, or until we have seen you climbing a ladder heavenward, nor will we believe in your ascent until you have brought down a book that we could read". Say to them: "Praise be to Allah and extolled are His glorious attributes; am I in any respect but a human Messenger

[94] In effect nothing holds back the people and hinder them from conforming to Islam as ordained by Allah despite sending Messengers to guide them but their presumption upon Providence. "Is it conceivable", they say, "That Allah sends to the people a human Messenger

[95] Say to them: "If it were possible for angels to feel safe and secure when they move about on the ground here below, We would have sent down a divine Messenger

[96] Say to them: "Enough is Allah to be my witness and your witness; He is indeed Khabirun (Omniscient) and Bassirun (Omnipresent) Whose constant vigilance is extended to all His creatures

[97] He whom Allah guides to His path of righteousness is the one who is guided by the spirit of truth into all truth. But those whom Allah sends astray, never shall you find for them tutelary guardians besides Him. We shall throng them drawn on their faces In Day of Judgement, blind, deaf and dumb to be delivered to their appropriate quarters in Hell which is constantly fed with fuel .As often as it abates We feed it so that they suffer the increasingly fierce and merciless flames of the fire

[98] This is in requital of their denial of Allah's Omnipotence and Authority and of their refusal to acknowledge His revelations and signs evincing both His Godhead and His divine nature. And they insolently voice their denial of Resurrection. Thus: "Is it conceivable", they exclaim: "that when We have been reduced to bones and dust We will be restored to life and be created anew

[99] Do they not perceive by visual tokens and by their minds' eyes that Allah Who created the heavens and the earth is Omnipotent enough to recreate the like thereof and restore the dead to life and create them anew! It is He Who determined their span of life which He decreed to end at a certain and undoubted point of time, yet the infidels refuse to acknowledge the truth and choose to sink under the vexations of their minds

[100] Say to them: "If you -infidels- were to have a place in the realm of the ruling power and you have the power of governing and controlling the vast treasuries of Allah's mercy, you would have exercised restraint by virtue of your niggardly disposition and for fear of want. Nonetheless, man has always been characterized by parsimony

[101] We went Mussa with nine divine signs. You Muhammad just ask Bani Israel about the course of events relative to Mussa as he presented himself to Pharaoh and his people. Pharaoh said to him: "I do think that you Mussa are indeed bewitched

[102] But you know", said Mussa, "That no one could have sent down these divine and evident signs but the Omnipotent Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth; He made them clear to the understanding and judgement" "In effect I think that you Pharaoh are obstinate and unyielding to the truth and with unerring doom you shall see what is to come

[103] Pharaoh decided on what he thought would be the best course of action, namely, to rid the land of them, but We drowned him together with all those who followed him

[104] Following Pharaoh's death, We said to Bani Isra‘il: "Now you may have your abode in the promised land, and when the promised Day of Judgement comes to pass We will gather you and all the others from wherever you may be

[105] In truth We sent down the Quran and in conformity with fact and in agreement with reality has it been revealed. We have only sent you O Muhammad as a spectacle and a warning

[106] A Quran that has been revealed in partible division at intervals so that you may recite it O Muhammad to the people slowly and deliberately. We revealed it in succeeding stages and each part with the others makes up the whole

[107] Therefore say to them -the infidels- O Muhammad: "Believe in it or do not give credence to it; those to whom We imparted knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light before it was revealed bow to it in reverence and submission. When it is recited to them they cast themselves down prostrate in humility and veneration

[108] And they say: "Praise be to Allah, our Creator, and extolled are His glorious attributes. Indeed, the promise of Allah, our Creator, inevitably comes to pass and is always fulfilled

[109] The Quran influences their senses and minds and excites their emotion that it prompts weeping and as they stand in awe of their Creator they prostrate themselves in profound reverence and humility

[110] Say to the Pagans who reject the attribute AL- Rahman and think it is another god: Invoke Allah or invoke AL-Rahman whichever you choose, for to Him belong all the graceful Names which are the supreme appellations in which His unique qualities are ascribed. And to avoid -O Muhammad- their mockery and derision when you engage in the act of worship, you just entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah. And do not voice your prayer loudly nor pronounce it inaudibly or below your breath but hold a middle degree between the two extremes

[111] And express you gratitude to Him in words for His unipersonality and Unique divine nature, thus: "Praise be to Allah Who did not beget nor adopt a son nor is there anyone to share His divine nature or His realm nor is He dependent upon a tutelary guardian to protect Him from harm and from humiliation and praise Him highly for His imposing Omnipotence

[1] Praise be to Allah Who sent down to His servant the Book -the Quran- well founded, constant ,resolute and did not allow therein of declension, obliquity or crookedness

[2] But orthodox, in accordance with what is divinely and authoritatively established as the truth guiding into all truth so that it strongly warns the ungodly and the impious of the torment laid upon the damned. It announces joyful tidings to those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds with wisdom and piety to expect a distinguished reward

[3] The reward which merits the blissful abode in the beautitude of heaven wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity

[4] And to give a cautionary notice against the ascription to Allah of plurality and to warn those whose hearts work iniquity not to utter grievous error against Him and irreverently say that He has begotten a son

[5] Neither they nor did their fathers have the true knowledge that is consistent with fact and reality nor do they have the knowledge implying firm belief of what is true on sufficient ground. How enormous, monstrous and atrocious is the word they project and to which they give a speaking tongue! Indeed, what they utter is nothing but falsehood, the product of morbid and deluded minds

[6] Seemingly, you Muhammad are betaking yourself in pursuit of their train of thought with distress, constant regret and discontent and torturing yourself lest they should refuse credit to this divine discourse

[7] We have caused the material world on earth to be of the nature of an embellishment and ornamentation in order to test the peoples' reaction to the grace of Allah and distinguish those of them who will imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety

[8] One day We will render the face of the earth dry and barren - terra firma- destitute of vegetation

[9] Have you meditated O Muhammad upon the event of the inmates of the Cave and upon Allah's intervention exhibiting His control over the laws of nature and serving as evidence of His Almightiness and Omnipotence, It stood as a wonderous sign as all Our signs do stand imposing upon peoples' thoughts

[10] A group of young (Christian) men resolved to escape persecution*; they betook themselves to the Cave -in a mountain near by- where they expressed their invocatory prayer: "O Allah, our Creator". they prayed, "extend to us of Your mercy what will help us endure our tribulation, and direct us to a course of action determining what You commend for us of future events

[11] We, in response, struck them deaf and induced them to sleep for a number of years

[12] Then We roused them and provoked them to activity so that We see which of the two arguing parties would come closer to the exact length of time they remained dormant as a marvel of Allah correlative with Resurrection

[13] We will relate to you O Muhammad in truth the facts, the circumstances and the incidents of their true story. They were a group of young Christian men who conformed their will to Allah's will and We strengthened their purpose by impressing their hearts with the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[14] We confirmed their purpose and made them have the heart and We roused their spirits that they stood firm and declared themselves and revealed their true belief; they said: "Our Allah is the Ilah and Creator of the Heavens and the earth. Never will We invoke besides Him another god for then We will have uttered grievous error against Him

[15] These are our people", they said, "who have pitifully taken other gods besides Him. If only they would present a divine and authoritative evidence in support of their assumption! In effect they presumed upon Providence and who is more wrongful of actions than he who intentionally asserts what is false and relates it to Allah

[16] If you should remove yourselves, said one of them, from their society and do not participate in their system of faith and worship but not from the divine system, then go to the Cave where Allah, your Creator, will extend to you of His mercy what abounds in you and help you endure your tribulation and overcome your difficulties

[17] You could see the sun O Muhammad as it rose turning aside from their Cave to the right and as it set swerving to the left while they occupied a space within in a state of dead sleep; a divine wonderous sign indeed. He whom Allah guides to His path and Providence his guide is indeed guided into all truth, whereas he whom Allah sends astray, never shall you find for him a tutelary guide

[18] You would have thought they were awake -probably their eyes were open- though they were fast asleep. And We turned them over from one side to the other right and left while on the threshold lay their dog with his forelegs outstretched. If you had seen them you would have run away from them making your escape, filled with horror

[19] So conditioned, We aroused them and stirred them into activity only to question each other as to the length of time they had laid themselves to rest. "How long do you think you have been in this place to repose your wearied virtues?" asked one of them. "Probably a day or less", they said. "Allah, your Creator, knows best how long. Meantime send one of you with this silver coin to town in quest of the best food and he brings back some of it to satisfy our hunger, but he must be gentle and courteous and not to attract attention or fix directly upon himself nor indirectly upon you the notice of others

[20] For, should they discover your identity", he continued, "they will over power you, pelt you with stones or else turn you renegades and your purpose shall be defeated here and Hereafter

[21] To serve Our purpose We ordained that their identity be revealed so that they, as well as others, would realize that the promise of Allah is truth personified and that the Day of Judgement is a certainty. The aftermath of the event resolved itself in the manner that was inevitably expected. The people who by then had conformed to Allah's will –Christians- debated the number and the event and its significance, some concluding to construct a memorial on the site, others whose decision prevailed resolved to erect a house of worship thereon

[22] Tossed with their unballasted wits in fathomless and unquiet deeps of controversies, Ahl AL-Kitab (the People of the Book) were divided in opinion relative to the number of the young men, and in the course of time, some will say: "They numbered three and their dog the fourth". Others will say: "Five, their dog the sixth", an exercise of divination, whereas others will say: "Seven, their dog the eighth". Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah, my Creator, knows best their number; it is only a few who have been given the knowledge of the number and the significance of the even". Therefore, do not involve yourself O Muhammad in the heat of their dispute but treat the subject from an objective standpoint only so as to exhibit the actual facts and never seek counsel from any of them upon the event

[23] (It is not in mortals to command success). Therefore, do not resolve upon doing something the morrow without appending "Allah willing

[24] That is "if it be the will of Allah". And should you forget this divine axiom, then call Allah to mind and invoke Him to guide you to a better choice than that which you had in mind "I pray and beseech You O Allah, my Creator, to guide me to a better choice than that which I had in mind

[25] They (Ahl AL- Kitab surmised that they -the young men-) remained dormant in the Cave for three hundred years -solar calendar- with an additional nine years -lunar calendar

[26] Say to them O Muhammad: "Allah alone knows how long they stayed in the cave. Knowledge of the mysteries of the heavens and the earth is a divine prerogative attributed only to Allah. How infinite is His vision arid how unlimited is His audition. Besides Him. People have no tutelary guardian. His Authority, Sovereignty and Command are absolute and independent and no one does He permit to go shares with Him in any measure or degree

[27] And recite O Muhammad what has been inspired to you of the Book -the Quran- of Allah, your Creator, Whose words no one nor any expedient or any power can alter nor will you find besides Him a tutelary protector to afford you shelter

[28] Be patient O Muhammad and rest content with those who invoke Allah's mercy and conciliation morning and evening in quest of nothing but His acceptance and His countenance speaking good will. And let not your mind's eyes turn aside from them or vacillate between them and the worldly-minded, setting your thoughts upon the ephemeral and fleeting glories of the world. Nor should you obey the one neglecting his duty to Allah and by consequence We closed his heart's ears, the one who counsels deaf and lusts after his vain desires and carries his vanity to excess that he cannot be reclaimed from a life of vice nor will he be reclaimed by Allah's grace

[29] And say to them: "Allah's truth has come to guide us into all truth and he who wishes to acknowledge it with judgement and choice is free to do so and he who wishes to reject it is free to do so. We have prepared for the wrongful of actions a fire whose scorching and merciless flames beset them on all sides as if it were a bed having an arched canopy and covered sides. As often as they cry for help they are given a draught of boiling water like molten brass or molten lead scalding the faces; evil indeed is the drink and evil is the society

[30] Indeed those whose hearts are impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds with wisdom and piety are the recipients of Allah's mercy and divine reward. We never annul, cancel or render unprofitable the due return accruing from a good deed imprinted with wisdom and piety

[31] Such persons are promised the gardens of Eden beneath which rivers flow. They are adorned therein with golden bracelets and vested in green silken attire and rich brocade and reclining on dignified thrones, How excellent is the reward and how excellent is the society

[32] Give them O Muhammad an example by which moral and spiritual relations are typically set forth, the example illustrating the two men; on one of them -the rich- We bestowed two orchards enclosing grape vines and surrounded by palm trees with plants in between

[33] Both orchards yielded their produce in due season and never failed to yield all that both will hold, and in their midst We caused a river to flow with a copious stream

[34] Abundant was the produce that he -the rich- boasted his wit and said to his fellow -man- the poor: "I have more advantages than you have; I have abundant means at command and my family and my men far exceed yours in numerosity

[35] In his wrongful state of mind which was prejudicial to his soul, he -the rich- entered his orchard exclaiming "I cannot imagine", he said, "that this orchard will ever perish in the wreck of time

[36] Nor do I believe that the Final Hour of Judgement will materialize and even if it does and I am sent back to Allah, my Creator, I will surely find a better one in exchange

[37] Discoursing him on this point, his fellow the poor man said to him: "Do you not think you have presumed upon Providence and transgressed His authority" "He created you from dust then from a constituent part of fluid emitted, then He fashioned you and imparted to you the shape of a man

[38] As for me", he continued, "He is Allah my Creator, and I do not incorporate with Him other deities

[39] If only", the poor man added, "when you entered your orchard you had exclaimed:" " Praise be to Allah, whatever He wills shall be; no one can command success but He". "If you do see me in comparison less than you in affluence and in progeny

[40] Perhaps Allah, my Creator, will bestow on me what is better than your orchard and He may send against it from heaven a thunder-bolt reducing it into a smooth and unproductive piece of land

[41] or He may cause its water source sink below a reachable level that by trying to reach what is beyond your reach you reach nothing at all

[42] Suddenly were his fruits not reaped but suffered to rot, rotting to nothing. There, he kept striking the palms of his hands reciprocally in token of violent grief caused by the loss of what he spent on it; there stood the orchard so desolate empty but of dilapidated trellises over hills of ruin. There and then he said: "I wish I had not incorporated with Allah, my Creator, other deities

[43] Nor did he have a co-operative group to afford him help besides Allah nor could he help himself

[44] There, it becomes evident that the only indisputable help and the only indisputable protection come only from Allah, the Omnipotent Who is truth personified, and the best Purveyor of divine rewards and the only Power that commands a successful end

[45] Express to them O Muhammad the likeness of life here, it stands similitude exact of a cycle in which a certain round of events or phenomena is completed, thus: We send down rain water from the floor of the vault of heaven; it mingles with the product of the soil which absorbs it and thrives thereby, then it eventually withers and dries up and gets dispersed with the wind, and Allah has always been Qadirun (Omnipotent) capable of doing all things

[46] Wealth and progeny feature the attraction and allurement exciting the pleasurable emotion of people in life here below, but what is infinite in future duration considered by Allah to have eternal consequences and hopeful reward are the deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety

[47] The Day shall come when We put or set the mountains in motion and you see the earth bare of the natural objects it once had, and We will have thronged them -all people- to judgement, leaving not one behind

[48] They shall be ranked before Allah in rows and be told: "Now you have come back to Us as bare, open to view and unprotected as We created you in the beginning, yet you presumed earlier upon Providence and took for granted that We would not predetermine for you a point of time

[49] Now the Book of personal records is laid open to view and you shall see the sinful alarmed at its contents and excited with sudden fear and apprehension of danger. They express their thoughts in words, thus: "Woe betide us. This book", they say, "does not leave out a minor or a major offense unrecorded", and they shall find that every single deed, good or back is being presented and then they shall realize that Allah, your Creator, wrongs no one

[50] For once We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam in adoration, and the angels prostrated to Adam in comely order praise and admiration except Iblis, AL-Shaytan-to-be, who was a Jinn juxtaposed* to the angels and by consequence he disobeyed Allah, his Creator. So conditioned, do you people take him and his progeny as tutelary guardians besides Allah when they are your avowed enemy! Evil indeed is the substitute adopted by the wrongful of actions

[51] Never did I invite them -neither these nor those nor any creature- to be present, to spectate or to be associated with the event of the creation of the heavens and the earth nor of themselves -in reference to Adam- nor did I need help nor is it befitting. It is not Allah Who would use the help of others not to mention the wicked who mislead people

[52] The Day shall come when Allah says to the infidels: "Call forth My partners whom you presumed to share My divine nature and Omnipotence", and they shall do so, but their gods shall give back no answer, and We established between them - they and their gods- in life below the relationship leading to their final damnation

[53] And the wicked shall see Hell open to view and realize that they shall have to cast themselves head-long therein and that there is no escape

[54] And We have expounded and oriented Our revelations in this Quran to circumstances and requirements and We expressed many parables to bring the infidels to their senses but man has always been known to raise captions and frivolous objections about most things and tries to find fault unfairly and without good reason

[55] What kept people back from acknowledging and accepting the spirit of truth presented to them to guide them into all truth and inspire them to invoke their Creator's mercy and forgiveness but to rest content until they are wedded to the same calamities wedding those of old or to perceive through sense of sight the torment destined to be laid upon the damned

[56] We do not send the Messengers but to serve as spectacles and warnings, But the infidels try to seek everywhere vain proofs and groundless causes for which they are ready to contend to their life's end to refute the truth. They disdain indignantly to acknowledge My signs, My revelations and My warnings and laugh them to scorn

[57] And who is more wrongful of actions than he who has been reminded of Allah's evident signs and revelations and shuns them, forgetting what his unclean hands have committed! The fact is We enshrouded their hearts to preclude them from exercising intellectual power or understanding and struck them deaf that nothing that enages the intellect would come to their hearing. These are those whose hearts dare rise defiant against Allah. And if you invite them to accept the spirit of truth guiding into all truth, never shall they acknowledge Providence as their guide

[58] If Allah, your Creator. the Source of true forgiveness and divine mercy ,were to censure them for their demerits which are far above all praises of man, He would have hastened them to their painful end. But We have determined for them a point of time when they shall be reduced to a useless form and besides Allah they shall find no one to afford them refuge

[59] Such were the towns of old whose inhabitants We did away with when they proved themselves wrongful of actions and We determined the point of time at which We carried this punishment into effect

[60] For once did Mussa say to his attendant: "l will not give up journeying until I have reached the concourse of the two seas -said to be he juncture of the Mediterranean and the red sea, or probably the two arms of the red sea- irrespective of how long it takes, be it a year, a decade or longer

[61] And when they had reached the junction of the two waters they forgot that they had carried a fish for their meal –Mussa was probably ordered to carry a fish-. The fish in a supernatural way, had stealthily found its way to the sea where it disappeared

[62] And when they had journeyed beyond that spot, unaware of the incident, Mussa said to his attendant "It is time to eat; bring us our meal, we are exhausted; this journey has drained us of our strength

[63] Do you remember the rock", asked the attendant, "to which we resorted on the way" "I had forgotten all about the fish and this was a lapse of memory effectuated by AL-Shaytan who made me forget to mention it to you. It mysteriously found its way to the sea in a most astonishing manner

[64] This is exactly the place" said Mussa, "We were questing", they went back retracing their footsteps

[65] There, they found one of Our devotees to whom We extended Our mercy and the initiation in mysteries and to whom We imparted of Our mystic knowledge what is transcending human comprehension

[66] Mussa asked him: "May I follow you with the provision that you agree to impart to me of the knowledge imparted to you for the good of the wide circle of the all

[67] He -the teacher- said to Mussa: "But you shall not be able to bear with me nor shall you quietly await the course of events

[68] And how could you", he added, "put up with something whose significance, import or intended purpose you do not know nor do you look at it with your inward sight

[69] But you will find me, Allah willing", said Mussa, "forbearing and will not disobey any of your instructions

[70] Therefore", said the teacher "if you should follow me, then do not look for the how and the why and the wherefore until I have given you an account of it

[71] And there, they made their way onward until they went on board ship in the bottom of which he -the teacher bore a hole for the purpose of sinking it-. There, did Mussa exclaim: "Have you scuttled it to drown its passengers!" "You have indeed committed yourself to an evil line of conduct

[72] He -the teacher- said to Mussa: "Did I not tell you, you would not be able to bear with me nor show forbearance with my actions

[73] My apologies", said Mussa, "please do not reproach me for my lapse of memory, nor impose on me an action hard to understand

[74] Again they made their way onward until they met a youth whom he killed. There and then Mussa exclaimed: "Have you deprived an innocent soul of life when the youth committed no murder, you have indeed committed an act truly abominable

[75] The teacher said: "Did I not tell you, you would not be able to bear with me nor show forbearance with my actions

[76] Indeed," said Mussa: a walking interrogation -point is never a pleasant companion, "therefore if ever I should question anything you do from now on, then do not associate with me any longer; you have been patient enough to put up with my interrogation

[77] Again they made their way onward until they came across a town where they asked the people for food but the people neither offered nor afforded welcome or entertainment to strangers and consequently denied then hospitality. So they made their way onward only to find a wall about to fall and he -the teacher- repaired it and brought it back to its original state, and there Mussa exclaimed: "Had you willed you could have charged a price for it

[78] Now", said the teacher, "is the turning-point; we break off and separate from each other, and now", he added, "I will give you the interpretation of all the events you were unable to forbear

[79] As to the boat", said the teacher, "it belonged to poor people –seamen- making a living, and I intended to make it defective to prevent their king, who pursues boat-owners, from capturing their boat

[80] As to the young man, –who was evil personified- his parents are righteous people and they would have, through affection and compassion, admitted of relaxation in Allah's system of faith and worship

[81] We decided", -Allah decrees and I am the instrument- to replace him by another child who would be a symbol of faith and stands manifest of kindness and mercy

[82] As to the wall", the teacher said, "it constitutes a part of the property belonging to two orphan youngsters in the town and it rested directly on a treasure. Their father was a gracious man in whose heart reigned piety, and Allah, your Creator, has decreed that they reach maturity and dig out their treasure, an act of mercy vouchsafed by Allah, your Creator. You must realize that none of these incidents did I do of my own accord; there you have the interpretation of the incidents you could not forbear

[83] They ask you O Muhammad about the Bi-horned, Zul-Qarnain! Say to them: "I will give you an account of his actions and the occurrences constituting his history in which he equally excelled

[84] Allah says: "We confirmed him on earth and We imparted to him the knowledge of the ways and means serving a purposeful end

[85] And he purposefully lead the way

[86] He took the lead in an expedition toward he west until he reached a body of water -said to be the Atlantic Ocean, or more likely a mirky land abounding in swamps– where -he thought when viewing the horizon- the sun sets and where he found a -disorderly and unruly- people over whom We gave him authority. We left to him the manner of dealing with them. Either you punish them, We said or show them kindness

[87] He set up his constitution -in the occupied territories- and accordingly he stated: "We will punish the wrongful of actions here and he wilt be left to Allah, his Creator, to impose upon him the torment laid upon the damned Hereafter

[88] Whereas he whose heart reflects the image of religious and , spiritual virtues and his deeds wisdom and piety will be rewarded with what is best and we will treat him kindly and impose on him what he can bear with ease and what sets his mind at rest

[89] Again, he purposefully lead the way

[90] He conducted an expedition eastward where the sun rises until he reached an open territory -probably a desert- where -he thought when viewing the horizon- the sun rises and where the people -who were primitive- had no covering besides the sun

[91] For thus We knew his thoughts and feelings as well as his mode of action

[92] Again he purposefully lead the way

[93] Until he reached a stretch of territory towered by two barriers -probably mountains- beneath which he found a people who could hardly understand a foreign word or language

[94] They said to him -through interpreters-: "O you Zul- Qarnain, the tribes of Gog and Magog* are people who have both mischief and ill-will in their composition and they spread discord in the land. May we apportion to you a tribute in payment of raising a rampart between us, a rampart that would be invincible against all assaults

[95] He said: "what Allah has bestowed on me of wealth and power far excels your tribute. You just help me with your laborious attempt and strenuous exertion of power and I will erect a barrier between you

[96] Bring me blocks or sheets of iron", he said, "to fill up the space between the two natural barriers", then he said to them "Now you may subject it to fire and use your bellows to make it red hot, and when it softened he asked them for molten brass to pour on the iron to weld in solid mass

[97] In consequence, they -the tribes- could not escalade it nor were they able to make their way through it by digging

[98] At the end", Zul-Qarnain said thankfully: "This is a mercy graciously vouchsafed by Allah, my Creator, and when Allah's predetermined point of time comes to pass, He shall turn it to dust. The promise of Allah, my Creator, has always been the truth personified

[99] And on the Day when the promise is fulfilled, we will leave them -the people- in an undulating conformation until the trumpet is sounded and then We assemble them all together in throngs

[100] There and then We will bring Hell in view near enough as to be clearly seen by the infidels

[101] Whose bodily eyes and their minds' eyes were veiled. from apprehension, knowledge or perception of My divine nature and My Omnipotence and Authority and from My signs and veritable revelations; they counselled deaf and were unwilling to open their hearts' ears

[102] Do they -the infidels- think they do better by taking My servants as their tutelary guardians besides Me! Indeed We have prepared Hell and made it ready for the abode of the infidels whom it asserts as its own

[103] Say to the infidels O Muhammad "shall We tell you who they are whose deeds in life have lost them the most

[104] They are those who presumed upon Providence and conducted themselves in life according to false concepts and they thought they were doing what is right

[105] It is these who have denied the truth of their Creator's signs and counselled deaf to His spirit of truth guiding into all truth and to His promise of Judgment at Resurrection. In consequence their hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness, and in Day of Judgement We will attach to them no importance nor shall their pleading be of weight

[106] These are the ill-fated who justly deserve the abode in Hell by reason of their infidelity and disobedience and by consequence of laughing My revelations and signs and My Messengers to scorn

[107] But those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds wisdom and piety shall be the recipients of Allah's mercy and blessings. We have prepared for them the Paradise which is furnished with trellised vines and fruit trees

[108] Wherein they would have passed through nature to Eternity admitting of no change

[109] Say to them –the people- "If the vast body of water on the surface of the globe were ink serving the purpose of committing my Creator's words to writing, sooner would the vast body of water -now ink- be exhausted than would the words of my Creator even if we make this immense expanse twice as much

[110] Say to them O Muhammad: "I am only a mortal like you, but I am prompted by Allah to impart to you the knowledge inspired to me. It emphasizes that your Allah is One and only, the Creator of the whole and of all in all". "Therefore, he who acknowledges Resurrection and Judgement and hopes to be welcomed in Allah's heavenly realm and be a recipient of His mercy and blessings will have to imprint his deeds with wisdom and piety and never to incorporate with Him, other deities nor invoke besides Him any

[1] (Kaf), H. (Haa), Y. (Ya), Ain, S. (sad), and what these introductory represent and what they stand for as a natural symbol of adoration

[2] This O Muhammad is an oration relative to the particular occasion when Allah your Creator, extended His mercy to His servant Zakariya (Zachariah)

[3] Who once expressed his feelings and his thoughts to Allah, his Creator, in an invocatory prayer which was not openly avowed

[4] He said: "O Allah", my Creator, " I have lived long enough to make old bones and my hair has turned white and never has my; invocatory prayer to You O Allah, my Creator, been unblest or a disadvantage

[5] I only fear that my kindred and those connected in thought may not know, after I have gone off, how to serve Your purpose with the appropriate acts and rites, and my wife has been barren". "I pray and beseech You O Allah to give me through Your efficacious grace a descendent destined to be my successor

[6] Who inherits the divine knowledge You imparted to me and the appropriate system of faith and worship You imbued in me and to inherit the spiritual possessions of the family of Ya'q?b (Jacob) who had the world all before them and Providence their guide, and make him O Allah my Creator, acceptable to You and a recipient of Your mercy and blessings

[7] He was told: "O Zakariya, We relate to you the divine edict of a happy event: it is the procreation of a son named Yahya whose appellation We designated to no one before

[8] He -Zakariya- exclaimed: "How shall I have a son when my wife has been, barren and I have been carried through the stealing steps of age to advanced life

[9] So be it", says Allah, your Creator; "this is an easy act actuated upon My swill and I have created you earlier when you were non-existent

[10] He -Zakariya- said: "O Allah, my Creator, may I be given a token which satisfies my reason!" He was told: "What serves to indicate the fact shall be your inability to talk to people for three nights albeit you are all sound

[11] And so he went out of the temple to his people and by making signs he intimated to them to praise the O Allah frequently and to glorify Him and extol His glorious attributes morning and evening

[12] O Yahya", he was told, "take the Book AL-Tawrah (the Torah) adhere to all that We have imparted to you and observe the code of discipline and body of regulations and hold them in esteem and hold to your promise and pay attention. Regard to it and be mindful of Our commandments", and We imbued him with wisdom in his childhood

[13] And We imbued him with compassion and tenderness of the heart and We made piety reign in his heart and he entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

[14] He was naturally well disposed, he exhibited a kind and affectionate disposition by his conduct to his parents and he never played the tyrant nor did his heart beat rebellious to lawful and pious resolves

[15] And with peace and truth did his birth ever shine; peace be unto him at the encounter with death and in Day of Judgement when he is restored to life

[16] Relate O Muhammad to the people what is narrated in the Book -the Quran- relative to Maryam when she withdrew from her family to an eastern chamber -in the Jewish Temple- to perform her religious observances

[17] She veiled herself from them, since solitude best serves deep devotion. There We sent to her Our Spirit who disguised his identity and appeared as a human all sound

[18] She exclaimed: "I commit myself to AL-Rahman counter to your personage for infringing upon my privacy, if indeed in your heart reigns piety

[19] The disguised angel said: "But I am the Messenger of Allah, your Creator", I am assigned to grace you with the divine prerogative of procreating a son who is stamped with the character of sublimity, holiness and piety

[20] How shall I possibly procreate a son", asked Maryam, when, no man has ever touched me nor did I participate in immorality

[21] So be it", Thus said Allah, your Creator, "this is an easy act actuated upon My Will and We will make him a symbol of Our Omnipotence denoting to the people Our Uniqueness and infinite power to say to any entity "Be", and it is. " He is a mercy from Us to guide the people into all truth, and for the matter of that it has already been decreed

[22] There, Maryam conceived not only a babe in the womb but also horror in the mind and with both she moved away to a distant place

[23] Just to be confronted with the onset of labour, and there, the severe labour pains drove her to the nearby trunk of a palm-tree. Overwhelmed with fear mingled with grief she exclaimed: "I wish, I had died long ago and were consigned to oblivion

[24] There and then, a cry -of triumph and joy came out from below. The new born said to her: "Do not lament the event, Allah, your Creator, has provided beneath you a brook that is moved for you

[25] And if you shake the trunk of the palm-tree it will shower you with ripe and delicious dates in plenty

[26] Eat then and drink", he said, and compose your countenance and let your eyes speak content. Should you come across anyone of the people, you just say: "I vowed to Allah to fast from talking and to consecrate the day in religious observance, pray to Him and converse with Him, glorify Him and extol His glorious attributes; by consequence I will not give a speaking tongue today to a human being

[27] She carried the babe taking him home to her people who exclaimed: "O Maryam," they said, "you have committed yourself to an evil line of conduct of grave consequence

[28] O Maryam", they added, "sister of Har?n (Aaron) -in priesthood - never was your father a man of evil nor was your mother immoral

[29] She simply pointed her finger at him -the babe- with an intimation, as it were, that they ask or speak to him. But they exclaimed: "How in Allah's Name can we discourse with a new born babe

[30] I am", said the babe -Isa- "a devout servant of Allah Who shall entrust me with His Book -the Bible- and confer on me the prerogative of Prophethood

[31] He conferred on me benediction that I will be blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined me, for as long as I live, the practice of praying to Him and of Zakat (almsgiving), -for alms are but the vehicles of prayer

[32] He emphasized that I should be kind and dutiful to my mother, and He excluded tyranny and depravity from my nature

[33] Peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I encounter death and in Day of Judgement when I am restored to life

[34] This is Isa, the son of Maryam, declaring the truth of his own eventful birth. He was called into existence as stated in divine truth and not in the manner which Ahl AL –Kitab maintain by disputation and will die for it

[35] It is never becoming that Allah should adopt or beget a son. Praise be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes. When He determines no matter what, He only says "Be" and it is

[36] Allah is my Creator and your Creator", Isa continued, "He exacts obedience and submission from the whole and from all in all, and so worship him with appropriate acts and rites, for this is the path of righteousness leading directly to Him

[37] Nevertheless the various sects found a cause for which they were ready to contend to their life's end. Woe betide them who will not acknowledge Allah's Oneness, Uniqueness and Absoluteness. How distressful shall be the stormy scene they shall have to encounter on a Momentous Day

[38] How acute shall be their vision and their hearing on the Day they assemble before Us in Day of Judgement when the wrongful of actions shall realize their grave error

[39] Warn them O Muhammad –the wrongful of actions- of the Day when long shall they sigh as the die is cast, being already convicted by reason of their negligence of Allah's statutes and their disbelief in Him and in His Messengers

[40] They do not seem to realize that it is We Who inherit the earth and the whole and all in all thereon; they all return back to Us

[41] Narrate O Muhammad to the people what is discoursed in the Book- the Quran- relative to Ibrahim (Abraham) who was a man who kept Allah's truth so pure, and his words and his deeds together accorded; he was a Prophet

[42] For once he asked his father: "O father, why do you revere and adore with appropriate acts and rites objects that are deaf and blind and can avail you absolutely nothing

[43] O father", he continued, "I am a recipient of divine knowledge imparted to me and not imparted to you. Should you follow Me. I will guide you to the path of righteousness, the path of Allah

[44] My father", he said, "do not take AL-Shaytan (Satan) as a guide and espouse his cause. He incites you to regard idols with reverence and veneration and feelings akin to worship". "Keep in mind that he exercised open and determined defiance of Allah, AL-Rahman and resisted His Authority

[45] O father", he added, "I have an uneasy sense of the probability of a retributive punishment which might be assigned to you from AL-Rahman in requital of your submission to AL-Shaytan, and that shall bring you closer to him in alliance and intimacy

[46] There, the father exclaimed: "Do you Ibrahim drop my gods into oblivion and dismiss them as unfit for worship"! "unless you desist" he added, "from disqualifying them and treating them as of no importance, I promise I will pelt you with stones. You had better keep away for sometime so that you do not come within the measure of my wrath and until I have forgotten the incident

[47] Peace be upon you O father", Said Ibrahim, "I will invoke Allah on your behalf for mercy and forgiveness; Allah has always been Merciful and gracious to me

[48] Meanwhile I will withdraw from your society and remove myself from your atmosphere of idolatry which you profess besides the faith in Allah". "I will devote my act of worship to Him alone and invoke Him for forgiveness and look forward to His mercy; perhaps my hopes will not be doomed to disappointment

[49] When he removed himself from their society and from their idols which they invoked besides Allah, We bestowed on him Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'q?b each of whom We graced with the prerogative of Prophethood

[50] We extended to them Our mercy and made all grace abound in them and We savoured their speaking tongue with prudence and truth that it was honoured in the wide circle of the all

[51] You may narrate to them O Muhammad what is discoursed in tThe Book -the Quran- relative to M?ssa (Moses) who was chosen for his virtuousness and purity; he was a Messenger endowed with the prerogative of Prophethood

[52] We called him from the right side of the Mount (Sinai) and We brought him in a proximate position to honour him and to converse with him upon mystic matters

[53] We mercifully assigned him an adjutor, his brother Har?n whom We proclaimed a Prophet

[54] Also, narrate O Muhammad to the people what is discoursed in the Book -the Quran- relative to Ismail who was true-hearted, true to his promise, and his words and his deeds together accorded; he was a Messenger endowed with the prerogative of Prophethood

[55] He always enjoined his family and his people the practice of praying to Allah and the religious duty of Zakat, and he was very near and well pleasing to Allah, his Creator

[56] And narrate O Muhammad to the people what is discoursed in the Book -the Quran- relative to Idris, -possibly he was Ozoris or he was not, or he was Enoch or was not and it seems that he was sent before Ibrahim-. He was a man who kept Allah's truth so pure and his words together with his deeds accorded ,he was a Prophet

[57] We exalted him and ennobled him and graced him with a lofty position

[58] These aforementioned were among the prophets on whom Allah conferred His blessings and in whom all His grace abounded. They were the posterity of Adam and of those whom We carried with N?h (Noah) in the Ark and of the posterity of Ibrahim and Ismail and of the posterity of those whom We guided into all truth and chose to promote the divine knowledge. When Allah's revelations were recited to them they fell prostrate in adoration and were moved with reverential awe which prompted weeping and they wept out their eyes and their hearts

[59] (Pitifully) they were followed by generations who neglected the act of worship, and lusted after the worthless, and in vanity they wasted their days. But as there came the day to those of old, the day will come to those of today and shall come to those-to-come when they shall taste the evil consequence here, and worse shall it be Hereafter

[60] But excluded are those who in lowliest plight repentant stood and were wise enough to acknowledge Allah, their Creator, and their hearts reflected the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds wisdom and piety. These and such persons shall with great cordiality receive the welcome in Paradise, and never shall they be wronged in one way or another

[61] Paradise which is pictured in the Garden of Eden AL-Rahman has promised to His devoted servants who apprehend it mentally even though hitherto unseen. Indeed, His promise is truth personified and shall come to pass

[62] No vain discourse shall they hear therein, but peace shall forever shine and in Allah's Name shall they be greeted with the formula of good will, good wishes and respect "Peace", and they shall be provided with victuals, eatables and drinkables morning and evening

[63] Such is the paradise which shall be the eternal right to those of Our devout servants in whose hearts reigned piety

[64] We -The Angels- do not just come down as We please. We only come down at Allah's command, to Him belong all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between, and never is Allah, your Creator, forgetful

[65] Allah is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and of all that is between, therefore, worship Him and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him, and exercise patience in religious observance and in face of difficulties and hindrances. Think but this: do you know of any who shares His divine nature and His divine attributes

[66] Yet man says to himself: "Would I be resurrected and be restored to life after I have long been dead

[67] Does man not remember that We created him in the beginning when he was absolutely nothing and nonexistent

[68] By Allah, your Creator, We will throng them together with those who played the devil and with those with characteristics befitting AL-Shaytan and throng them all on their knees girdling round Hell

[69] Then We will haul up from every sect those who were disobedient and rebellious against AL-Rahman the most

[70] We do know quite well the most deserving among the wide circle of the all to the torment to be laid upon the damned in Hell

[71] None of you people but shall go by it -the confines of Hell-, an inevitable event that is promised by Allah and incumbent upon Him and no one is destined to escape it

[72] There, will We lead safely and deliver those who entertained the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and leave to it down on their knees the wrongful of actions whom it asserts as her own

[73] When Our revelations are recited to them, revelations distinctly expressing all that is meant leaving nothing merely implied, they exclaim: "which of the two parties" they ask, "holds a high position in the social scale and status and in society, the nobility who do not follow Muhammad or the no-bodies who follow him

[74] They fail to realize how countless were the generations We destroyed, generations who came to this world before them and were more affluent and enjoyed more splendour

[75] Say to them -The infidels- O Muhammad "Those who are satisfied with their state of loss in the maze of error shall experience more of it. Allah shall give them enough rope to allow them free scope of action to commit themselves until the encounter with the promised punishment either at the hands of the Muslims here below or in Day hi Judgement Hereafter. There and then, shall they realize who are in the most grievous and dreaded state and have the lesser and weaker forces

[76] But those who chose the path of righteousness and Providence their guide shall Allah make circumstances favourable to them to think better and do better wherefore the everlasting deeds of wisdom and piety are esteemed by Allah as most rewarding and of note and so much consequence

[77] Do you see O Muhammad the one* who totally rejects Our revelations and denies the Hereafter as well as Our convincing signs, and mockingly says to his debtee**: "l will be given Hereafter, plenty and live in affluence and have progeny in numerosity then I will pay you the debt

[78] How insolent to presume upon Providence! Has he been given divine knowledge of the unknown or the ability to realize the unseen or has he entered into a covenant with Allah, AL-Rahman

[79] Never, but he had better restrain himself from uttering words conveying absurdities. We will relate in writing and record all that he says and prolong the punishment of his soul which welcomes wrongs, to such an extent as he never portrayed in his mind

[80] We will take possession of all that he said he would have, and he comes back to Us all alone

[81] They -the infidels- chose to take besides Allah false gods through whom they seek predominance and glory here and intercession Hereafter

[82] Never, but they shall disclaim knowledge of their zealous devotion and exercise active opposition against them, and as enemies they -the false gods- shall obtain their end

[83] Do you look O Muhammad into the way We use the satanic! We send them against the infidels to rouse up their vain desires and incite them to do evil

[84] Therefore, do not call O Muhammad upon Allah to hasten the retributive punishment unto them. We keep count of their misdeeds and all their pursuits of the world during their numbered days here, and they shall have much to answer for Hereafter

[85] The Day shall come when the faithful are assembled before AL-Rahman in a presentable and dignified manner

[86] And We drive the sinful to Hell like thirsty cattle

[87] No one shall have the advantage nor the power of intercession except him who has been promised to this effect by AL-Rahman

[88] They say: "Allah, AL-Rahman has taken up, adopted or begotten a son

[89] You blasphemers have instituted a notion that is indeed monstrous, enormous anal atrocious

[90] A notion indeed shocking. Its impact makes the heavens tremble and almost tear apart asunder and the earth quakes and almost parts asunder and the mountains quiver and almost crumble

[91] that they ascribe to AL-Rahman a son

[92] when it is absolutely unbecoming nor is it consonant with His Supreme Majesty that He should take up, adopt or beget a son

[93] that is besides the fact that there is not one single creature in the heavens and on earth but shall come back to stand before AL-Rahman as a servant submitting to His Authority and surrendering himself or itself to Judgement

[94] He has counted them and ascertained their number

[95] All and each shall present himself or itself to AL-Rahman singly

[96] But not those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds wisdom and piety. They shall be the recipients of Allah's mercy. AL-Rahman shall overshadow them with His gracious wing and impart to them His loving care

[97] We have revealed it -the Quran- in a language conducive to ease, worded in your own tongue O Muhammad in order to use it when you announce joyful tidings to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and to warn the disdainful who are ready to contend to their life's end

[98] How many generations before them have We reduced to a useless form. Look around and see if you can find any one of them or hear their voice, be it uttered loudly or under their breath

[1] (Ta), H. (Ha) the Surah Opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, cannot be emulated

[2] We have not revealed to you O Muhammad the Quran to cause you hardship nor to put you to trouble

[3] But to serve as a reminder to those who keep in awe of Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[4] A disclosure of divine knowledge to man from Him, AL-Rahman Who Created the earth and the heavens of the imposing altitude

[5] AL-Rahman Who set Himself on the Throne of supremacy and dominion , of grace and mercy

[6] AL-Rahman to Whom belong all that is in the heavens and on earth and all that is between, all that lies in the depths below the face of the earth and of all other planets

[7] If you express your thoughts or declare your mind aloud, Allah does know what is suggested secretly to the mind and what man thinks but unwilling to avow

[8] He is Allah, there is no Ilah but He; to Him belong, the unique and Commendable attributes

[9] And now, have you been informed O Muhammad of the narrative of Mussa

[10] He saw a fire from far**, He said to his family: "You stay here; I have just

[11] And when he reached the destined spot, he was called to: "O Mussa", Allah said

[12] I am Allah, your Creator; you are in My Presence, therefore, take off your shoes, you are in The Sacred Valley, Tuwa

[13] And I have chosen you to convey My divine message, therefore, listen carefully to all that shall be inspired to you

[14] I am Allah, there is no Ilah but I, therefore, worship Me and adore Me with the appropriate acts and rites and observe the act of divine worship applying remembrance to Me

[15] The predetermined Eventful Hour shall inevitably come to pass, I almost keep it from the knowledge of others so that each soul be requited with what is commensurate with its deeds

[16] Therefore do not let those who reject the idea of Resurrection and lust after vanity influence your conduct, your belief or your trust in Me lest you suffer spiritual death and moral ruin

[17] And", Allah asked: "What is that you hold in your right hand O Mussa

[18] It is my staff", Mussa said, "I lean on and with it I beat the smaller bushes, the shrubs and the trees to furnish my sheep with food in addition to using it for other purposes

[19] Drop it O Mussa. " Allah Said

[20] And when Mussa did, the staff was instantaneously transformed into a serpent in motion

[21] Pick it up O Mussa", Allah said " and do not be afraid; We will make it go back to its original state

[22] Draw your hand* O Mussa close to your side, it shall come out transfigured in a radiance of white divine light unharmed and all sound; another sign

[23] This is just to make you witness personally Our Omnipotence as featured in what We show you of Our signs so that you satisfy your reason, have peace of mind and rest assured and be capable of carrying the great responsibility of fulfilling your obligation

[24] Go to Pharaoh", Allah said, "he has transgressed all bounds

[25] Mussa prayed: "Solace me O Allah, my Creator, and make my breast responsive to the joyful thought of performing my duty and make my spirit thirsty for knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light

[26] And make my task go easily

[27] And loosen my tongue and untie its impeding knot to allow me free expression

[28] So that they understand my discourse and comprehend all that I say

[29] And appoint for me a minister from my family

[30] Harun (Aaron), my brother

[31] To exert influence, power and effect and to have security of position

[32] To engage him in the conduct of my cause, Your cause, and interchange with him opinions, consultation and deliberation of action

[33] So that much we glorify You and extoll Your glorious attributes

[34] And much We think of You

[35] For, You have regarded us with an eye of favour

[36] And there," Allah said, "you are granted your humble request Q Mussa

[37] And We have been gracious to you O Mussa", Allah said, "on another occasion

[38] When We inspired a course of action to your mother and actuated her with what she would do to save your life

[39] Put the child in the chest", We said, "and throw the chest into the river, the waves will drive the chest to the bank and there shall he be picked up by a common enemy of Mine and of his". And I endowed you with the prerogative of amiability and I had an eye upon you so that you grow and develop under My observation

[40] Your sister", Allah said, "marches to the gate of the Palace and says to the household: "shall I inform you of an acceptable woman who would nurse and rear the child! There, We returned you to your mother so that she would be delighted and her eyes speak content and she would take off the robe of grief". "Moreover, you killed a man -unintentionally when helping the Israelite against the Egyptian- (Surah 28, V.19), and We relieved you and freed you of the anguish and in various ways did We put you to straits" "And by consequence you stayed for a number of years among the Madianites, then you were impelled upon My will to come to serve Me here as I had planned O Mussa

[41] And I made you", Allah said, "what you are for My purpose, O Mussa

[42] Now, you go together with your brother Harun equipped with My divine signs betokening My Omnipotence and Authority and slack not Me nor My words to remember

[43] Go to Pharaoh", Allah added, " he has transgressed all bounds and played the tyrant

[44] And speak gently to him, so that he might hopefully be brought to his senses and entertain a profound reverence for Allah

[45] They Mussa and Harun said: "O Allah, our Creator, we fear he might show a strong dislike to us and involve in some notion repugnant to the moral sense or he might play the blasphemer, the persecutor and the tyrant

[46] Do not be afraid ever", Allah said, "I am with you all along, I am Omnipresent with unlimited audition and I see all that is being done

[47] Go to him and say": "We are Messengers of Allah, your Creator, We ask you to release the children of Israel from bondage and to send them with us and not to torture them. We have brought you an evident sign from Allah, your Creator, and peace be upon those who have the world all before them and Providence their guide

[48] We have been inspired and prompted by Allah", they continued, " to indicate that punishment shall befall whoever suspects Allah's Messengers of falsehood and turns his back upon Allah's message

[49] There, said Pharaoh defiantly: " Who is your Ilah, O Mussa

[50] Our Allah, The Creator", "They said," "is He Who gave form, shape and features to every entity He created and vested each entity With its qualities and attributes guiding each creature to its inherent role in life

[51] What about the earlier generations!" asked Pharaoh, "and what say you to that

[52] Only Allah knows what happened to them", they said " knowledge of the hidden is an attribute of Him, Our Creator, Who puts everything on record. and never goes wrong nor does He forget

[53] He is it Who made the earth a liveable place* suitable for your livelihood and furnished it with paths, roads and channels, and He sent from the floor of the vault of heaven water, the means of producing pairs of diverse plants

[54] To eat therefrom and put cattle to pasture. Indeed, these are tokens representing convincing divine evidence, tokens symbolic of Allah's Omnipotence and Authority, giving insight to those who grasp with the mind

[55] From the earth We created you and back to it We will bring you -at death-, and out of it will We bring you again -in Day of Judgement

[56] We presented Pharaoh with all Our evident and convincing signs but he simply denied them and counselled deaf and suspected Mussa of falsehood

[57] He said to him: "Have you come back to us, to oust us out of our land by your magic, O Mussa

[58] We will not bend to your magic art", "and We will meet your threats with defiance and your sorcery with a similar art having an over -mastering influence-". "Therefore," added Pharaoh, make a tryst neither We nor you shall fail to keep and the place where we meet shall be equidistant and overt

[59] The time", said Mussa, "is your festive day and the place is where people are thronged for festive celebration in the forenoon

[60] There, Pharaoh drew himself away and concerted an insurrection of necromancers and came back

[61] Woe betide you", said Mussa to the magicians, "do not devise falsehood against Allah lest He should uproot you by a torment He lays upon the damned. The hopes of those who devise falsehood are doomed to disappointment

[62] There and then did the sorcerers dispute and debate their plan among themselves in a secret counsel

[63] They concluded, thus; "these two men Mussa and Harun are necromancers planning to drive you people out of your land by their magic and do away with your exemplar constitution

[64] Therefore", they added, "gather up your thoughts and muster your wits to work out an over -mastering plan and come in imposing lines, for he who gains the upper hand shall be the winner

[65] Face to face with Mussa, they said to him: "Would you like to cast down your staff first or shall we cast ours first

[66] But", Mussa said, "you cast first", and there, their ropes and their rods seemed as though they were living serpents in motion

[67] A wave of terror swept over Mussa in his innermost being

[68] Allah inspired to him: "Do not be alarmed O Mussa", "nor be pervaded with fear. You have mastery over them and indeed you have the upper hand

[69] He added, "Cast down what you hold in your right hand. It shall swallow up all that they laid in fakes. Indeed, all they presented was simply an optical illusion made manifest by sorcerers, and no sorcerer can accomplish a useful purpose nor succeed in reaching a positive end no matter whence he came

[70] There and then fell the necromancers prostrate in adoration and they prostrated their reason to divine revelation and said: "We do recognize Allah, the Creator, of Mussa and Harun

[71] Have you conformed your will" said Pharaoh, "to the will of the Ilah of Mussa before I permit you to do so! Indeed it is your chief who taught you magic has misled you". Therefore, you just wait. I will amputate your hands and feet on opposite sides and I will have you all crucified on the trunks of palm - trees, and you shall come to know which of us, can inflict punishment to a greater degree, agonizing, and more lasting to make you live in Hell on earth

[72] The magicians said to Pharaoh: "We will not look with favour on your system of faith in preference to the truth and the enlightenment we have received; nor in preference to Him Who created us. Therefore, decide what you will; you can only sit in judgement here below

[73] We have recognized Allah", they said, "and conformed our will to His will; may He forgive us our sins and the sinful act of magic you forced us to do" "Allah is indeed the best purpose for which we are destined and He is Eternal

[74] Indeed, he who presents himself to Allah, his Creator, in Day of Judgement invested with crime, shall be destined to Hell wherein he neither dies nor lives

[75] Whereas he who presents himself then with a heart impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues and deeds with wisdom and piety shall he and such persons be rewarded with the highest and most dignified places in the social scale of life Hereafter

[76] They shall be rewarded with the abode in the Gardens of Eden beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity. This is the reward of those who have cleansed themselves from moral and spiritual defilement and purposed to meet their Creator pure in heart

[77] Meanwhile, We inspired Mussa to conduct My servants by night to the sea and to strike for them a dry path across and We assured him, thus: "You shall not be overtaken by Pharaoh and his people. They shall not catch up with you nor should you fear them

[78] Pharaoh in command of his troops went in pursuit of Mussa and his people whom he considered as enemies to the community of nature, but they were overwhelmed with the sea water which overpowered them

[79] In effect what Pharaoh actually did was that he fooled his people, led them astray and never did he really guide them to a path of righteousness

[80] O Children of Israel: We delivered you from your enemy and We ordained for you the divine assignation -through Mussa on the right side of Mount Sinai to receive the commandments- and We provisioned you with Al Manna, the continual dew of the blessed victuals, and with the Quails

[81] And We said to you: Eat of the worthy victuals We provisioned you, do not transgress nor carry anything to excess lest you should come within the measure of My wrath, for, he who suffers My wrath sways his destiny and incurs spiritual death and moral ruin

[82] However, I am indeed Forgiving; I extend forgiveness to him whose heart reflects the image of religious and spiritual virtues and his deeds wisdom and piety and Providence his guide

[83] And", Allah asked, "what made you hasten on O Mussa and outstrip your` people -the seventy elders who were to accompany him

[84] They are tailing me on" Mussa said "but I hastened on to You O Allah my Creator, so that You might be pleased with me

[85] We have tested your people O Mussa" Allah said, after you left. They succumbed to Samiri who led them astray

[86] And there, Mussa returned to his people provoked to wrath and grieved indeed. He said to them: "My people, did Allah, your Creator, not afford you ground of expectation and led you to expect a handsome promise!" "Did you believe it took too long or did you intend to come within the measure of His wrath and by consequence you failed to keep your promise to me -to remain faithful

[87] We did not break our promise of our own accord," they said, "but we were made to carry loads of ornaments -of Egyptian women- which we thought portend evil and We threw them in the fire to get rid of them and so did Samiri

[88] And he fashioned it -the melted gold- in the shape of a calf's body -like the bull of Osiris in the city of Memphis, Egypt- which mowed like cattle when down wind. No sooner did they see a golden Calf emitting a sound than they forgot Allah Who delivered them and gave themselves up to the calf as the object of worship saying to each other: "This is your Ilah, the Ilah of Mussa whom he forgot, and by consequence he missed his way

[89] Did they not see that it was mute, unable to respond to their discourse nor could it cause them harm nor afford them help

[90] Harun had said to them earlier: "O my people, be careful, you have, consented to this enticement while your Allah is the Creator, AL-Rahman; therefore, follow me and obey my command

[91] But they said to him: "We will not renounce our devotion to it -the calf- until Mussa comes back to us

[92] And when Mussa returned, he said to Harun: "What kept you Harun from acting when you saw them deviated in mind and wandering from the path of righteousness

[93] What hindered you" Mussa added, "from following my instructions and fulfilling your obligation; have you disobeyed my command

[94] O son of my mother", Harun said, "do not drag me by the beard nor by the head. I was afraid you would say I have set the children of Israel at variance and did not listen to your instructions

[95] Turning to the Samiri, Mussa ask: "What is on your mind O Samiri

[96] I have seen", said Samiri, "what they failed to see -meaning the Spirit Jabril (Gabriel)- and so I took a handful of dust from the track of the Messenger of Allah and I tossed it toward the calf, for so did my soul prompt me -a made- up excuse for his unforgivable sinful act

[97] Go away", Mussa said, you shall be punished in this life by isolation -like a terrible contagion, a way of punishing a grave sin in the Mosaic law- and you shall have a conviction of this fact that you shall say " I am a touch -me- not", that is besides the promised punishment which shall not fail nor shall you be able to escape it Hereafter" "And now", Mussa added, "look at your god to which you appropriated yourself and applied it exclusively as if by a vow; We will burn it to the melting point -or to ashes- and scatter it and disseminate it in the sea

[98] Indeed", Mussa said, "your Allah is the One Who is the Creator; there is no Ilah but He; His knowledge is absolute, it embraces the whole and all in all

[99] Thus do We relate to you O Muhammad narratives of some of the proceeding generations, and We have given you by Our grace from Our realm in heaven a Book -Quran- helping you and the wide circle of the all to keep Allah in mind and to ponder His marvels

[100] A Quran, a spirit of truth guiding into all truth, and he who rejects it or turns his back upon it will have rejected Allah's mercy and he shall suffer the heavy burden he carries in Day of Judgement

[101] There and then he and such persons will have passed through nature to eternal suffering and evil and indeed tormenting to them shall this burden be

[102] The Day shall come when the trumpet is sounded and We throng the sinful who shall look blue, being affected with terror, distress and anxiety

[103] They whisper to each other guessing their duration in life below and some think it was so short that it could not have been more than ten days

[104] We know best what they discourse, but those among them with veracious insight will say: "You sojourned no more than one day

[105] And they ask you O Muhammad about the mountains, say to them "Allah, my Creator, shall uproot them to extirpation

[106] So that He leaves them leveled with the ground smooth - faced surface

[107] Wherefore you cannot see curves, elevations nor depressions

[108] There and then shall all resurrected beings faithfully follow the announcer -the angel Israfil- who marches straight on, and all voices and sounds are humbled and die away that you can only hear the soft and fair sound of their foot-steps treading the straight path

[109] This is the Day when no intercession shall be accepted from anyone on behalf of another except from him who is granted permission from Allah AL-Rahman on the basis of his virtuous attributes and his pleading is acceptable to Him

[110] He knows fully well what they have brought of doings or handiwork into His presence and He knows their past which they do not presently comprehend with their minds nor do they know what Allah has for them in store

[111] All countenances shall express humility before Him, the Eternal, the Omnipotent Who preserves existence. But defeated and miserably disappointed of their expectations shall be those who bear the burden of iniquity and wrongful actions

[112] And he who imprints his deeds with wisdom and piety and his heart with religious and spiritual virtues shall not fear injustice nor abridgement or privileges

[113] Thus have We revealed it -the Quran- in the Arabic literary from and therein We expounded enough warnings that they may hopefully keep in awe of Allah or keep Him in mind and lift to Him their inward sight

[114] Exalted be Allah and extolled are His glorious attributes, the Supreme Sovereign, the Truth personified. Do not rush O Muhammad to recite the Quran before the inspired passage is completed -that is while the Angel Jebril is imparting the divine revelation- and invoke Allah to augment your knowledge, thus: "May I ask You O Allah, my Creator, to advance my knowledge

[115] We entered into a covenant with Adam but he forgot and We found him irresolute; he lacked firmness of purpose

[116] We said to the angles: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam in adoration", and the angels prostrated to Adam in comely order, praise and admiration except Iblis AL-Shaytan- to- be- who aspersed with calumny and declined with inordinate self-esteem

[117] And there, We said to Adam: "This - Iblis - is an avowed enemy to you and to your wife; let him not be the cause of ousting you from Paradise wherefore you suffer

[118] You may rest assured He, Allah added, "that herein never shall you suffer hunger nor go naked

[119] Nor shall you suffer thirst nor be exposed to the parching heat of the sun

[120] But AL-Shaytan sneakingly whispered to him, instigating evil. He said to Adam: "Shall I show you the tree of eternity and the kingdom which suffers no declension

[121] Deceived by AL-Shaytan's allurement and consenting to his enticement, they both ate of the tree and there, their private parts were exposed wherefore they realized how shameful this was. They kept collecting leaves from the trees of Paradise -to cover their naked bodies which aroused their sense of shame- and there, has Adam disobeyed Allah, His Creator, and strayed from the path of righteousness

[122] But Allah, his Creator, reclaimed him and relented in mercy to him and guided him to the path of righteousness

[123] upon Our Command", Allah said "We down both of you upon, together with AL- Shaytan from hence with mutual enmity to each other" - "You shall receive from Me the spirit of truth guiding into all truth, and he who follows the path of righteousness and Providence his guide shall not err nor suffer spiritual death nor moral ruin

[124] And he who turns his back upon My spirit of truth that guides into all truth and does not keep Me in mind shall live a life of misery and hardness of fate and circumstances and We throng him in Day of Judgement as blind, lacking in intellectual, moral and spiritual perception as he was in life

[125] Then shall he say: "O Allah, my Creator, wherefore You thronged me blind when in life I was able to see and to argue and defend myself

[126] Like this", Allah says, "you blinded yourself and closed your heart's ears and mind's eyes to Our revelations and authoritative signs and you consigned them to oblivion and by consequence you are, this Day, forgotten, neglected and disregarded

[127] Thus do We requite him who has exceeded his limitations and carried things to excess and did not acknowledge Allah's revelations and authoritative signs, and the punishment Hereafter is indeed more severe and more lasting

[128] Do they not perceive O Muhammad mentally and by sight the significance of Allah's penalties! and have they failed to realize how many generations before them did We reduce to a useless form? They tread their dwellings they once occupied and they see with their own eyes the consequence of disobeying Allah. Indeed such outcome is emblematic of Allah's signs recognized by people of insight

[129] Had it not been for Allah's word proclaimed beforehand -to put punishment in respite- it would have been timely to plant their Hereafter in the now, but We grant them respite up to a predetermined point of time

[130] Therefore, be patient O Muhammad and put up with what they insolently and defiantly say, and praise Allah, your Creator, and extol His glorious attributes before sunrise and before sunset and some time during the night and at both ends of the day so that you may hopefully be pleased with Allah's distinguished reward

[131] And do not direct your sight wistfully O Muhammad at the advantages We gave to some among the various sects; it is the flower of life below and it is a means of trial. It is the gist with which We test their response and their behaviour, whereas the blessed victual provisioned by Allah Hereafter is excellence personified and more lasting

[132] And enjoin your family to observe the act of worship and you persevere in observing it and in maintaining your piety. We do not expect you to provide sustenance. It is We Who provide for you and for all, and the happy ending is the conclusion of piety

[133] And they -the infidels- insolently and defiantly say; If only he -the Prophet- presents us with a sign -other than the Quran- from Allah, his Creator, -to evince both his wisdom and the truth of his mission-! Have they not been presented with enough Authoritative signs in former Scriptures which foretold also future events

[134] If We had reduced them to a useless form before this Book -the Quran- was revealed, they would have said: "O Allah, our Creator, if only You had sent to us a Messenger with the spirit of truth guiding into all truth we would have acknowledged Your revelations and authoritative signs and followed Your path of righteousness before We were humbled and put to shame

[135] Say to them O Muhammad: "Each of us awaits his end and what lies for him in store; therefore, you wait -until The Eventful Day comes to pass- and then you shall come to know which of us had followed the path of righteousness and who had the world all before them and Providence their guide

[1] Peoples' Day of Judgement is approaching, yet they pay no attention, unwilling to receive it with consenting minds nor agree to consider it the one fact that destroys fiction

[2] No fresh divine message or a warning comes to them from Allah, their Creator, but they listen to it mockingly and laugh it to scorn

[3] Their hearts' ears are closed for revelation but open for mockery and amusement -the happiness of those who cannot think- Being wrongful of actions, they say in their secret counsel: "Is he Muhammad not human like yourselves, and so will you accede to the magic he is able to manifest in his discourse when you have insight of the mind and eyesight of the body

[4] Having known by inspiration the conclusion of their secret counsel- the Prophet said: "Allah, my Creator, knows all that is being said or discoursed in the heavens and on earth; He is AL-Sami' (the Omnipresent with unlimited audition and AL-'Alim (the Omniscient)

[5] They -the infidels- went further and fared worse -in their description of the Quran and of the Prophet They said: "confused dreams, no, but he forged it, no, but he is a poet; he must present us with a miraculous sign like those with which were equipped the prophets of old

[6] In response to their insolence and defiance-, Allah says: Miraculous signs were presented to generations before them whom We reduced to a useless form on account of their rejection and denial of divine truth, therefore, what chance is there that these infidels will recognize Allah and in Him they will believe

[7] We never sent and inspired before you O Muhammad but men chosen from among the town dwellers whose deeds were natural to man, therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know

[8] Nor did We make their material being -the body- able to survive without consuming food nor were they destined to escape death or last forever

[9] And We fulfilled Our promise to them and delivered them out of danger together with whom We willed and We reduced the transgressors to a useless from

[10] And We have sent down to you people a Book -the Quran- serving as a reminder to you in every respect and in due time will it praise your name to fame that you will be mentioned by others with admiration, adoration, and commendation; will you not understand

[11] And think but this: how many towns, whose inhabitants were wrongful of actions, did We destroy and replace by other people

[12] And when they sensed Our wrath approaching, in vain for their life, they fled to other places

[13] In irony they were told-: do not flee but go back to your lustful life and to your dwellings; you may have much to answer for

[14] There and then they exclaimed, thus: Woe betide us, we were indeed wrongful of actions

[15] They kept bewailing their misfortune until We reduced them to a useless form like reaped field of corn

[16] We never created the heavens and the earth and all that is between just for fun

[17] Had We purposed to have fun or diversion We would have had recourse to what We have in Our heaven's realm if indeed We meant to do so

[18] But what befits Our Supremacy is to dash fiction and falsehood with truth so that it is erased and vanished wherefore woe betide you for what you insolently ascribe to Allah

[19] And to Allah alone belong all that is in the heavens and on earth, and those serving in His realm of heaven do not pride themselves nor show inordinate self- esteem for serving Him and prostrating to Him in adoration nor do they ever grow weary

[20] They .celebrate and glorify their Creator and extol His glorious attributes night and day and they never lose vigour, grow dull nor do they lose interest

[21] Could it be that they- the idolaters-have taken earthly objects of worship who can raise the dead and restore them to life

[22] Indeed, if there be Ilahs other than Allah or sharing His divine nature and attributes, the heavens and the earth would have become corrupt and been ruined. Therefore, praise be to Allah and extolled are His glorious attributes the sole Sovereign of the Supreme Throne. He is far above what they ascribe to Him

[23] He is never questioned or examined judicially for whatever He does, whereas they as a whole shall have much to answer for

[24] Or have they taken besides Allah, the Creator, other gods which were indicated to them in previous Scriptures? if so, say to them O Muhammad: "Give us convincing evidence to this effect. This Quran is the message followed by my fellows in faith and before it were the Scriptures followed by those of old. And no where do we final but monotheisms" But indeed most of them fail to comprehend the truth and so they do not receive it with consenting minds

[25] Nor did We send a Messenger before you O Muhammad but We inspired him with the truth clearly indicating that there is no Ilah but I the Creator, therefore worship Me and adore Me with appropriate acts and rites and regard Me with extreme devotion

[26] And they blasphemously say: " Allah has taken up, adopted or begotten a son. Glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes, They -the angels- are but honoured and distinguished worshippers

[27] Never do they speak before Him unless permitted or commanded to do so; similarly conditioned are their acts

[28] He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them and they never intercede on behalf of anyone except on behalf of those approved by Him, those to whom He intends to be gracious. The angels- keep in awe of Him on account of the deep veneration and the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[29] And should any of them -angels or- men- claim god-ship besides Allah, then he is bound to Hell, for thus do We requite the wrongful of actions

[30] Do the infidels who deny Allah not see into the creation of the universe - the heavens and the earth-! Both were one mass and We split them asunder* and We made every living being dependent upon water**. We made it an essential component or constituent of every living cell. Will they -the infidels- not be brought to their senses and realize that there is a Creator

[31] And We furnished the earth with firm stays Mountains* placed in a certain setting, fixed as with an anchor, to stabilize it lest it should sway you from side to side or in all directions and We furnished it with paths, roads, channels, routes by land and water and between mountains so that they may be guided in their journeys between the different places

[32] And We made the heavens with their spheres and regions which resemble a vast vault or canopy overarching and protecting the earth*, being itself protected, maintained, safeguarded and well preserved. Yet they are oblivious of their marvels –stability, regularity, precision, immensity, and what it confers of protection- and fail to ascribe them to their maker Who is Allah

[33] And He is it Who created the night and the day, the sun and the moon, each describing its own orbit

[34] And never did We destine a human being before you O Muhammad to escape death or live forever -you are no exception-. Is it then that when you die they shall live forever

[35] Every Soul -no exception- shall taste death and We test you -people- by wedding you to calamities and by making Our grace abound in you to determine your true belief and inclination, your spiritual and moral attributes, your accomplishments, attainments and your way and course of acting, then in the end shall all of you be brought back to Us

[36] And when the infidels see you O Muhammad they receive you with nothing but disdain and scorn which ride sparkling in their eyes and they say: "Is this the one who blasphemes your gods! And when Al Rahman is mentioned, their countenances speak blasphemy against Him

[37] Man has been created with the innate propensity to be unduly hasty of spirit; I will exhibit to you My acts and My marvels serving to demonstrate divine power and authority, therefore, do not ask Me to hasten them on

[38] And yet they -the infidels- ask the Muslims: "When shall that promised punishment come to pass if indeed you declare the truth

[39] If only these infidels who deny Allah knew that there shall come a time when they shall not be able to avert the blazing fire from their faces nor from their backs nor shall they be afforded help

[40] It shall surprise them. Pale and dumb, they shall stand confused and confounded unable to avert it nor shall they be granted respite

[41] Messengers who were sent before you O Muhammad were also bombarded with foul epithets, the infidels mocked them and gave them a lick with the rough side of their tongues and called them everything they could lay their tongues to. In consequence were the mockers beset on all sides by the same material and immaterial things they had turned in to ridicule

[42] Say to them: "Who can defend you by night and/or by day from AL- Rahman if His wrath speaks thunder". But they are unwilling to listen to divine Revelation nor to Allah's warning and they are habitually opposed to the mention of His attributes

[43] Or have they gods, besides Him, who can defend them! They -the gods- are themselves unable to hold their own nor can they defend themselves, let alone defending others should We decide that they perish

[44] We granted these people together with their fathers comfort and enjoyment and all that advantaged them of Our blessings in life as long as they lived. Do they not see that We reduce their territories and straiten their outlying borders -by rapid progress of Islam-. is it then they who are the winners or the conquerors

[45] (Say to them O Muhammad: "I only warn you of the promised punishment of which I have been informed by the inspired revelation. But those who counsel deaf are oblivious of Allah's warning). Their hearts' ears are closed to the cautionary advice

[46] And if afflicted with a slight touch of your Creator's retributive punishment they -the infidels- shall say: "Woe betide us, we were indeed wrongful of actions

[47] And We set the scales even in Day of Judgement admitting of no deviation and We judge with absolute justice and accordingly no soul shall ever be wronged in the least. Every deed, good or bad, will We present with precision even if it be as light or as little as a mustard seed. Enough are We in putting the law in execution

[48] And We gave Mussa and Harun the canon imparting the soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends and in the choice of what is morally good, honest and straight-forward, serving as an illumination and enlightenment besides being a divine light and a constant reminder of Allah to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him

[49] Who stand in awe of Allah albeit they cannot apprehend Him by sight and think of the Day of Resurrection dreading the Final Hour of Judgement

[50] And this -Quran- is a blessed Book We have revealed to guide into all truth; will you -infidels- reject and deny what is good and advantageous to attain and possess

[51] Aforetime, We directed Ibrahim to reasoning and to employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions and We were fully aware of his thoughts and of his innermost being

[52] He asked his father and his people: "what are these statues and images you regard with reverence and veneration

[53] They said: "we found our fathers revering them and adoring them with appropriate acts and rites

[54] But you and your fathers", said Ibrahim, "were erroneous indeed in your system of faith and worship

[55] Have you brought us the truth," they asked, "or are you one of those who make this the object of a joke

[56] But your Allah", said Ibrahim, is the Creator of the heavens and the earth Who generated them and brought them into existence and to this effect I sincerely bear witness

[57] And, by Allah", said Ibrahim, "I will plot down your idols to dethrone them after you have gone and turned your backs

[58] And so he reduced them -the idols- into a useless form except their biggest, so that they might turn to it for information

[59] And when they returned, they exclaimed: "He who has done this to our gods is indeed wrongful of actions

[60] Some of them said: "we heard a young man by the name of Ibrahim cursing them and calling them names

[61] Bring him here before the people", they said, "so that they may witness with their own eyes the consequence, for he -Ibrahim- has much to answer for

[62] And when he was brought over, they asked him: "Was it you Ibrahim who did this to our gods

[63] But it was their chief who did it", Said Ibrahim; ask them if they are able to talk

[64] And there, they blamed themselves saying: "You are indeed the wrongful of actions

[65] But, overturned by imprudence in their minds and by subversion of reason, they said to him: "You knew very well that these idols do not talk

[66] Do you worship besides Allah," ask Ibrahim, "objects neither profit you nor can do you harm

[67] Fie on you and on those objects you worship besides Allah; can you not think in a sensible and logical manner and employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions

[68] Nevertheless", they said, "burn him and uphold your gods if indeed you intend to maintain our system of faith and worship and sustain it against criticism

[69] We said: "O fire! be cool and maintain your coolness and afford Ibrahim safety and security" and We graced him with peace of mind

[70] So conditioned, they thought of contriving against him, but We made them the losers who lost the most

[71] And We rescued him together with Lut (Lot). -his nephew- and delivered them to the land We had blessed -Aram or Syria and Can'an or Palestine- the land where many divine messages were revealed for all

[72] And We bestowed on him Ishaq (Isaac) and in addition We graced him with Ya'cob (Jacob) -a grand son- each of whom We characterized by virtue and righteousness

[73] And We made them leaders of faith guiding people into all truth as We willed and We inspired to them the deeds of wisdom and piety and the act of worship and alms giving. They were exclusively devoted to serving Our purpose and they worshipped Us alone

[74] And to Lut, We imparted wisdom, sovereignty and divine knowledge and We rescued him and delivered him out of the town whose inhabitants established the most evil and abominable and abnormal sexual practice. They were perverse people given to shameful deeds and immorality

[75] And We admitted him to the domain of Our mercy. He was one of those characterized by justice and uprightness and he was morally right

[76] And Nuh (Noah) who invoked Us aforetime and We responded favourably to his invocation and rescued him and delivered him together with his family from the distressful and overwhelming inundation

[77] And We rescued him from the people who rejected Our divine signs and denied Our Omnipotence and Authority; they were people who bode ill and were given to evil, and in consequence We drowned them all

[78] And Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon) who passed judgement -not inspired- upon the owners of the sheep which escaped from their cote and strayed in people field, and We were witnesses of their Judgement*. * David's decision centered on compensation

[79] But We inspired Sulayman with the insight of the matter** -therefore, his inspired decision, in addition to being compensatory, was constructive and promotive of work and advancement- and to each one of them We imparted wisdom and correct judgement, knowledge and intellectual acquaintance with the truth. And We subdued the mountains as well as the birds to join David in praising Allah and in extolling His glorious attributes, and We have always been Omnipotent enough to accomplish what we will. **The prosecutor makes use of the sheep until the defender makes the necessary repairs and restores the field to the original state, then each takes back his property

[80] And We taught Dawud the art of making coats of arms for people's protection to defend you from injury and to shield you from the violence exercised against each other. And now will you impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness

[81] And to Sulayman We subdued the wind raging and blowing tempestuously to flow at his command to the blessed land We had marked with grace -his influence extended over a vast territory, Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Ethiopia,- and We were 'Alimin (Omniscient)of all things and all affairs

[82] Those among the Jinn characterized with satanic attributes were also subdued to him to dive into the waters -after the treasures-pearls, corals,- in addition to other jobs and We were watching over them -not to slow down nor escape

[83] And Ayub (Job) who invoked Allah, his Creator, for relief. He said: "O Allah, my Creator, I have suffered long lasting tribulation and You are the Most Merciful of all who show mercy

[84] And We responded favourably to his invocation and relieved him and freed it him from all tribulation and We compensated to him a progeny to replace those he had lost .We doubled their number (grand children), a mercy extended to him from Us and a great event to be happily remembered by those who are constant

[85] Also Ismail, Idris -possibly Ozoris- and Zut-kifl -Dhoukefl-, possibly - Ezchiel each of whom faced hardship and tribulations with perseverance, patience and endurance

[86] We admitted them in the domain of Our mercy, for they were of those characterized by justice and uprightness and were morally right

[87] And Zun-nun -Yunus-, who met the opposition of the people to whom he was sent with impatience. Moved by anger he renounced them and left them thinking that We would not reprove him for such a behaviour. -He went on board ship and in the crossing it was decided by the crew that he was one too many and must be got rid of-. In the sea he was swallowed by the fish wherein he was constrained. In the depth of darkness he called on Allah and invoked His mercy, he said: "O Allah, there is no Ilah but You, glory be to You and extolled are Your glorious attributes. I have been rongful of actions

[88] And there, We responded favourably to him and delivered him from the sorrow and the distress, for thus do We save those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues

[89] And Zakariya -Zacharias- when he invoked Allah, his Creator, and said: "O Allah, my Creator, leave me not childless, a quality imparting the feeling of loneliness -a child not to inherit me but to pursue the same line of action so that Your word may have a free course-. When it comes to inheritance You are indeed the Only and the best heir Who shall inherit the whole and all in all

[90] We responded to him favourably and bestowed on him Yahya ( John), having rendered his wife fruitful. These were people who hastened to doing all that is good, useful, reliable for a purpose, efficient in function and in pursuit of faith, and they invoked Us expressing their due affectionate devotion keeping in awe of Us and hopeful of Our mercy, and they humbled themselves before Us and were indeed submissive to Us alone

[91] And Maryam (Mary) who guarded herself from being supposed and maintained the flower of faith and chastity, and so We sent to her Our Messenger -the Spirit Gabriel-, to breathe life into her and animate a soul in her womb, and We made her and her son Isa (Jesus) an emblem of Our Omnipotence and Authority to be pondered by all people

[92] This is the religion eminently professed by all the previous Prophets, the one and only system of faith and worship established by Allah and I am Allah your Creator, therefore, worship Me and adore Me with the appropriate acts and rites

[93] Yet people according to their desires and irreligious viewpoints set themselves at variance, but all shall inevitably return to Us