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English - Chapter 21 - Al-Anbiya

Translation by Dr Laleh Bakhtiar — Permalink

Verse 1 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:1

The reckoning for humanity was near while they are ones who turn aside in heedlessness

Verse 2 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:2

Approaches them not a remembrance from their Lord, that which is renewed, but they listened to it while they play

Verse 3 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:3

being ones whose hearts are ones that are diverted, and they kept secret, conspiring secretly those who did wrong? Is this other than a mortal like you? Then, will you approach sorcery while you perceive

Verse 4 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:4

He said: My Lord knows The Word of the heavens and the earth. And He is The Hearing, The Knowing

Verse 5 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:5

Nay! They said: Jumbled nightmares! Nay! He but devised it! Nay! He is but a poet! Let him bring us a sign as the ancient ones were sent

Verse 6 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:6

No town believed before them of whom We caused to perish. Will they, then, believe

Verse 7 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:7

And We sent not before thee but men to whom We reveal. So ask the People of the Remembrance if you had not been knowing

Verse 8 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:8

And We made them not lifeless bodies that eat not food nor had they been ones who will dwell forever

Verse 9 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:9

Again, We were sincere in the promise. So We rescued them and whom We will. We caused the ones who are excessive to perish

Verse 10 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:10

Surely, We caused a Book to descend to you in which is your Remembrance. Will you not, then, be reasonable

Verse 11 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:11

How many a town We damaged that had been one that is unjust and caused to grow after them another folk

Verse 12 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:12

Then, when they were conscious of Our might, that is when they make haste from it

Verse 13 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:13

Make not haste, but return to what you were given of ease in it and to your dwellings, so that perhaps you will be asked

Verse 14 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:14

They said: O woe to us! Truly, we had been ones who are unjust

Verse 15 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:15

Then, truly, they ceased not calling that out until We made them as stubble, ones silent and stilled

Verse 16 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:16

And We created not the heavens and the earth and what is between them as ones in play

Verse 17 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:17

If We wanted We would have taken some diversion. We would take it to Ourselves from that which proceeds from Our Presence if We had been ones who do so

Verse 18 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:18

Nay! We hurl The Truth against falsehood so it prevails over it. That is when falsehood is that which vanishes away. And woe to you for what you allege

Verse 19 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:19

And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And whoever is near Him, they grow not arrogant to worship Him, nor they be weary

Verse 20 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:20

They glorify Him nighttime and daytime. They never decrease

Verse 21 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:21

Or took they gods to themselves from the earth, they, ones who revive the dead

Verse 22 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:22

If there had been gods in it—other than God— certainly, both would have gone to ruin. Then, glory be to God! Lord of the Throne! High above what they allege

Verse 23 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:23

He will not be asked as to what He accomplishes, but they will be asked

Verse 24 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:24

Or took they gods to themselves other than He? Say: Prepare your proof. This is a Remembrance for him who is with me and a Remembrance of him before me. Nay! Most of them know not The Truth, so they are ones who turn aside

Verse 25 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:25

And We sent not before thee any Messenger, but We reveal to him that there is no god but I, so worship Me

Verse 26 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:26

And they said: The Merciful took to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay! Honored servants

Verse 27 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:27

They precede Him not in saying and they act by His command

Verse 28 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:28

He knows what is in advance of them and what is behind them and they intercede not but for him with whom He was content. And they are dreading Him, ones who are apprehensive

Verse 29 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:29

And whoever says of them: Truly, I am a god other than He, then, We will give recompense to him with hell. Thus, We give recompense to the ones who are unjust

Verse 30 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30

Consider not those who were ungrateful that the heavens and the earth had been interwoven and We unstitched them? And We made every living thing of water. Will they, then, not believe

Verse 31 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:31

And We made firm mountains on the earth so that it should not vibrate with them. And We made in it ravines as ways, so that perhaps they will be truly guided

Verse 32 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:32

And We made heaven as a guarded roof. Yet they are ones who turn aside from its signs

Verse 33 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:33

And it is He Who created the nighttime and the daytime, the sun and the moon, each swimming in orbit

Verse 34 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:34

And We assigned not to any mortal before thee immortality. If thou wert to die will they be ones who dwell forever

Verse 35 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:35

Every soul is one that experiences death. And We will try you with the worst and good as a test. And to Us you will be returned

Verse 36 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:36

And when those who were ungrateful saw thee, they take thee to themselves not but in mockery: Ha! Is this he who mentions your gods? And they, for Remembrance of The Merciful, they are ones who are ungrateful

Verse 37 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:37

The human being was created of haste. I will cause you to see My signs, so seek not to hasten

Verse 38 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:38

And they say: When will this promise be if you had been ones who are sincere

Verse 39 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:39

If those who were ungrateful but know at the time when they will not limit the fire from their faces, nor from their backs and they will not be helped

Verse 40 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:40

Nay! It will approach them suddenly. Then, it will dumfound them so they will not be able to come back nor will they be given respite

Verse 41 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:41

And, certainly, Messengers were ridiculed before thee. Then, those who derided them were surrounded by what they had been ridiculing

Verse 42 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:42

Say: Who will guard you in the nighttime and the daytime from The Merciful? Nay! They, from the Remembrance of their Lord, are ones who turn aside

Verse 43 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:43

Or secure them their gods from Us? They are not able to help themselves, nor will they be rendered safe from Us

Verse 44 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:44

Nay! We gave enjoyment to these, their fathers until their lifetime was long for them. Consider they not that We approach the earth? We reduce it of its outlying parts. Or will they be the ones who are the victors

Verse 45 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:45

Say: I warn you only by the revelation. But hear not the unwilling to hear, the calling to them when they are warned

Verse 46 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:46

And if a breath afflicted them of punishment of thy Lord, they would, surely, say: O woe to us! Truly, we had been ones who are unjust

Verse 47 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:47

And We will lay down the balances of equity on the Day of Resurrection. Then, no soul will be wronged at all. And even if it had been the weight of a grain of a mustard seed We will bring it. And We sufficed as Ones Who Reckon

Verse 48 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:48

And, certainly, We gave Moses and Aaron the Criterion between right and wrong and an illumination and a Remembrance for the ones who are Godfearing

Verse 49 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:49

those who dread their Lord in the unseen while they are ones who are apprehensive of the Hour

Verse 50 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:50

This is a blessed Remembrance We caused to descend. Are you, then, ones who know not of it

Verse 51 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:51

Certainly, We gave Abraham his right judgment before. And We had been ones who know of him

Verse 52 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:52

when he said to his father and his folk: What are these images to which you be ones who give yourselves up to

Verse 53 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:53

They said: We found our fathers as ones who are worshippers of them

Verse 54 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:54

He said: Certainly, you and your fathers had been in a clear wandering astray

Verse 55 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:55

They said: Hadst thou drawn near The Truth or art thou of the ones who play

Verse 56 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:56

He said: Nay! Your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who originated them. And I am of the ones who bear witness to this

Verse 57 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:57

And by God, I will contrive against your idols after you turn as ones who draw back

Verse 58 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:58

So he made them broken pieces—but the greatest of them—so that perhaps they will return to it

Verse 59 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:59

They said: Who accomplished this with our gods? Truly, he is of the ones who are unjust

Verse 60 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:60

They said: We heard a spiritual warrior (m) mention them. It is said he is Abraham

Verse 61 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:61

They said: Then, approach with him before the eyes of personages so that perhaps they will bear witness

Verse 62 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:62

They said: Hast thou accomplished this with our gods O Abraham

Verse 63 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:63

He said: Nay! It was accomplished by the greatest of them—this. So ask them if they had been able to speak for themselves

Verse 64 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:64

Then, they returned to one another. Then, they said: Truly, you, you are the ones who are unjust

Verse 65 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:65

Again, they were put into confusion: Certainly, thou hadst known that these speak not for themselves

Verse 66 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:66

He said: Worship you, then, other than God what neither profits you nor hurts you at all

Verse 67 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:67

Fie on you on what you worship other than God. Will you not, then, be reasonable

Verse 68 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:68

They said: Burn him and help your gods if you had been ones who do so

Verse 69 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:69

We said: O fire! Be coolness and peace for Abraham

Verse 70 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:70

And they wanted to use cunning against him, but We made them the ones who are losers

Verse 71 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:71

And We delivered him and Lot to the region which We blessed for the worlds

Verse 72 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:72

And We bestowed Isaac on him and Jacob as an unexpected gift. And We made both of them ones in accord with morality

Verse 73 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:73

And We made them leaders, guiding by Our command. And We revealed to them the accomplishing of good deeds and the performing of the formal prayer and the giving of the purifying alms. And they had been ones who worship Us

Verse 74 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:74

And to Lot We gave him critical judgment and knowledge and We delivered him from the town which had been doing deeds of corruption. Truly, they had been a reprehensible folk, ones who disobey

Verse 75 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:75

And We caused him to enter into Our Mercy. Truly, he was among the ones in accord with morality

Verse 76 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:76

And mention Noah, when he cried out before and We responded to him. And We delivered him and his people from the tremendous distress

Verse 77 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:77

And We helped him against the folk who denied Our signs. Truly, they had been a reprehensible folk. So We drowned them one and all

Verse 78 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:78

And mention David and Solomon, when they give judgment about cultivation when a herd of the sheep of his folk strayed. And to their critical judgment We had been ones who bear witness

Verse 79 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:79

So We caused Solomon to understand it. And We gave each of them critical judgment and knowledge. And We caused to become subservient to David, the mountains and the birds to glorify God. And We had been ones who do such things

Verse 80 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:80

We taught him the art of making garments of chain mail for you to fortify you from your violence. Will you, then, be ones who are thankful

Verse 81 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:81

And to Solomon, the wind tempest runs by His command toward the earth which We blessed. We had been ones who know everything

Verse 82 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:82

Among the satans are some who dive for him and do actions other than that. And We had been ones who guard over them

Verse 83 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:83

And Job, when he cried out to his Lord: Truly, harm afflicted me and Thou art One Who is Most Merciful of the ones who are merciful

Verse 84 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:84

So We responded to him. Then, We removed his harm. And We gave him back his people and the like of others with them as a mercy from Us and as a reminder of ones who worship

Verse 85 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:85

And Ishmael and Enoch and Dhul-Kifl, all were of the ones who remain steadfast

Verse 86 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:86

And We caused them to enter into Our mercy. They are the ones in accord with morality

Verse 87 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87

And Jonah, when he went as one who is enraged, and thought that We would never have power over him. And, then, he cried out through the shadows that: There is no god, but Thou! Glory be to Thee! Truly, I had been of the ones who are unjust

Verse 88 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:88

So We responded to him. And We delivered him from the lament. And, thus, We rescue the ones who believe

Verse 89 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:89

And mention Zechariah when he cried out to his Lord: My Lord! Forsake me not unassisted and Thou art Best of the ones who inherit

Verse 90 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:90

So We responded to him and We bestowed Yahya on him. And We made things right for his spouse and for him. Truly, they had been competing with one another in good deeds and they would call to Us with yearning and reverence. And they had been ones who are humbled before Us

Verse 91 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:91

And she who guarded her private parts, then, We breathed into her Our Spirit and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds

Verse 92 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:92

Truly, this, your community, is one community and I am your Lord so worship Me

Verse 93 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:93

But they cut asunder their affair between them. Yet all of them are ones who return to Us

Verse 94 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:94

So whoever does as the ones in accord with morality and he is one who believes, then, his endeavoring will not be rejected. And, truly, We will be One Who Inscribes it for him

Verse 95 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:95

And there is a ban on the town that We caused to perish. They will not return

Verse 96 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:96

until Gog and Magog are let loose and they slide down from every slope

Verse 97 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:97

And the true promise will be near. That is when the sight will be that which fixed in horror of those who were ungrateful! O woe to us. Surely, we had been in heedlessness of this. Nay! We had been ones who were unjust

Verse 98 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:98

Truly, you and what you worship other than God are fuel material for hell. You are the ones who go down to it

Verse 99 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:99

If these had been gods, they would never have gone down to it. All are ones who will dwell in it forever

Verse 100 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:100

There will be sobbing in it for them and they, their gods, will not hear in it

Verse 101 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:101

Truly, those to whom there has preceded the fairer from Us, those are ones who are far removed from it

Verse 102 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:102

They will not hear even the low sound of it. And they, in that for which their souls lusted, will be ones who will dwell in it forever

Verse 103 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:103

The greater terror will not dishearten them and the angels will admit them: This is your day that you had been promised

Verse 104 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:104

On a Day when We roll up the heavens like the rolling up of the written scroll of manuscripts, as We began the first creation, We will cause it to return. It is a promise from Us. Truly, We had been ones who do

Verse 105 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:105

And, certainly, We wrote down in the Psalms after the Remembrance that the earth will be inherited by My servants—the ones who are in accord with morality

Verse 106 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:106

Truly, in this is the delivering of this message for the folk, ones who worship

Verse 107 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:107

And We sent thee not but as a mercy for the worlds

Verse 108 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:108

Say: It is only revealed to me that your god is One God. Will you, then, be ones who submit to God

Verse 109 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:109

But if they turned away, then, say: I proclaimed to you all equally. And I am not informed whether what you are promised is near or far

Verse 110 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:110

Truly, He knows the openly published saying and He knows what you keep back

Verse 111 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:111

And I am not informed so that perhaps it will be a test for you and an enjoyment for a while

Verse 112 — Surah Al-Anbiya 21:112

He said: My Lord! Give Thou judgment between us with The Truth. And our Lord is The Merciful, He Whose help is being sought against what you allege