English - Chapter 11 - Hud

Alif, Laam, Raa. In the verses of this book (the Qur´an), orders have been revealed and then fully explained by the Wisest and the most Aware

(Say),"You must worship only Allah. Surely, I am a warner for you all, and a bearer of good news

Seek forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him! He will have you enjoy excellent provisions till a specified time. (And in the life-to-come) He will grant a lot more to those who do plenty of good deeds. However, if you turn away (then remember) I am really worried for you about a torment on that great day

Towards Allah is your return journey and He is capable of accomplishing all things

Beware! In order to hide from Him they double their chest up, and wrap themselves up with clothes. Even then, He knows what they utter in secret, and what they declare openly. Surely, He even knows that which lies buried deep in their hearts

The obligation to feed all living beings on the earth is upon Allah. He knows their resting places and their final depositories. Everything is inscribed in a clear book

And it is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods of time _ His throne was over water _ in order to test you and to see which of you performs better deeds! In fact, when told that after death they will be raised (back to life), the unbelievers say, "This is definitely magic

When We postpone the punishment for a brief period, they taunt, "What kept it?" Beware! The day it (actually) lands on them, they will not be able to keep it away. That which they joke about, will engulf them

When We deprive man of Our blessing after first having him taste it for a while, he turns blue, becomes ungrateful and loses all hope

On the other hand when, after a period of hardship, We let him taste Our blessings, he says, "The bad times are finally over" and he starts to boast

But those who are steadfast and do good deeds (do not boast); theirs shall be the forgiveness and a tremendous reward

(Oh prophet)! Perhaps you would (feel inclined to) give up a part of the revelation. Perhaps your chest tightens up when they, (the unbelievers), taunt, "Why was a treasure not sent down for him?" and "Why did an angel not accompany him?" Actually, you are there only to warn, and Allah is responsible for all matters

Do they claim that he has made it up himself? Say, "If that is true, bring us ten such made up chapters, and call for help anyone you can, besides Allah

Since they fail to respond, know for sure that this is being revealed to you by the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no god except He! Now, will you submit (lit: be Muslims)

Those who prefer the life of this world and its décor will have their due in this life? We will reward their actions and deeds in full right here! They shall not be shortchanged

Such people will have nothing in the life-to-come except hellfire. All their efforts in this life will be wasted. All their deeds are in vain

Can there be any likeness between the unbelievers and those following the clear proof from their Lord (the Qur´an), recited to them by His witness. Prior to this, the book of Musa served as a guide, and was a blessing. Fire is the promised place of abode for whichever sect refuses to believe (the Qur´an). Hence do not be in two minds about it. Very definitely, it is the absolute truth from your Lord, but most people do not believe

So, who can be more in error than the one inventing lies about Allah? They will be presented before their Lord. Witnesses will affirm that they were really the ones inventing lies about their Lord. Beware! Allah´s curse is upon the evil doers

Those who dissuade others from the path of Allah and try to find fault with it, actually do not believe in the afterlife

Such people will not be able to escape (Allah´s punishment) in the land. Besides Allah, they have no friends. Their torment shall be twice as severe. They carried on as if they were incapable of listening. They did not (try to) see

They are the ones who placed themselves in a losing situation. The lies they had invented, eluded them

No doubt at all! They will be the real losers in the life-to-come

Those who believe, do good deeds and stand in humility before their Lord are the residents of paradise. There, they shall live forever

The example of the two groups: one is blind and deaf while the other sees clearly and hears well. Can these two groups fare alike? So then, do you not think clearly

We sent Nooh towards his people, and he said, "I have come to you with a clear warning

That you must not worship anyone other than Allah. For you I am afraid of a torment on a painful day

The chiefs of the disbelieving nation said, "We find you to be no more than a human like us, and we find that only those of lower status and immature opinion follow you. We do not find you superior to us in any way. In fact, we think you are a liar

He said, "Oh my people, do you not see? My Lord has blessed me with clear proofs by His grace, but you remain oblivious of it. What can we do to convince you, if you are full of hatred

And, oh my people! I am not asking for any compensation in return. My reward, if any, is with Allah. I am not going to shun the believers. Indeed, they will meet their Lord! But I see that you are an irrational people

And, oh my people, who will help me against Allah if I were to shun them! So, why don´t you heed

I do not claim to have the treasures of Allah, or to be aware of the unknown, or to be an angel. I don´t agree with you that Allah will never award anything good to those you consider humble. Allah knows well what is in their hearts. I would be an evildoer if I shunned them

They said, "Oh Nooh, you have quarreled with us a lot! Enough of that now! If you are honest, go ahead and have that promise (punishment) wrought upon us

(Nooh) said, "Allah, if He wants, will inflict (the punishment) on you. You are really unable to prevent it

Even though I advise you sincerely, my advice will not benefit you if Allah wants to lead you astray. He is your Lord and you would have to return to Him

Do they say he has made it all up? Say, "If I have made it up, I will face the blame. I, too, am absolved of the sins you commit

Nooh received the revelation, "Surely, now none of your people will believe, other than those who already have! Do not grieve over their deeds

Build a boat under Our supervision and instructions. Do not talk to Me about the evil doers. For sure, they shall all drown

He built a boat. The chiefs of his nation made fun of him each time they passed by. He said, "Go ahead! Make fun of us. We, in our turn, will make fun of you like you make fun of us now

You would soon find out, who will be humiliated by the approaching torment, and upon whom will the everlasting punishment land

At last, when in response to Our orders the oven burst open, We said, "Board on it a pair of each species (of animals), your family _ except those about whom the decision has already been made _ and the believers." Only a few had believed in him

He said, "Come aboard. It is going to sail and land in the name of Allah. My Lord is really very Forgiving and very Kind

So the boat sailed with them amid waves as tall as mountains. Nooh spotted his son standing in an isolated place, and called out to him, "My son, come aboard with us! And do not be an unbeliever

(His son) said, "I will climb over this hill and be saved. This hill will protect me from the floodwater." (Nooh) said, "Today, according to the decree of Allah, there is no refuge except by His mercy." A wave shot up between the two and he was doomed to drown

An order was handed down, "Oh earth, gulp down your water, and oh sky, hold back." The command sounded, the water receded, the matter ended and the boat came to rest upon the hills of ´Jodee´. The announcement rang, "The nation of evildoers has been flung aside

Nooh called his Lord and said, "Lord! Surely, my son is my family. Your promise is absolutely true and You are absolutely the Best of the judges

(Allah) said, "Oh Nooh! He is not your family. His deeds are evil! Heed My counsel and do not be like the ignorant ones. Do not implore Me for anything you have no knowledge of

Said, "Lord, I seek refuge with You! I begged You for something I knew nothing about. I will be a loser, if You do not have mercy on me. and forgive me

He was told, "Oh Nooh, disembark in peace. Our blessings are upon you and the group with you. Among their descendants, We will bestow benefits upon many groups. Later on, We will seize (those of) them (who are disobedient) and inflict upon them a painful torture

We reveal to you these events of the (distant) unknown past. Neither you, nor your people had any knowledge of them. So endure patiently! Surely, the final outcome is for the pious

And towards ´Aads´ We sent their brother, Hood. He said, "Oh people, worship Allah (exclusively)! You do not have any other god besides Him! Your notions are just false

Oh people, I do not ask you for any reward. My reward, if any, is with my Maker. Do you then not understand

Oh people, seek your Lord´s forgiveness and turn towards Him. He will send plenty of rain for you, increase your strength and consolidate yourselves still further. Do not turn away and act like criminals

They said, "Oh Hood, you did not bring us any proof. We are not going to give up our gods merely because you say so. We are not going to believe you

We would just say that you are ill. One of our gods has seized you with an affliction!" Hood said, "I call Allah as my witness, and all of you are my witnesses, too. I am sick and blameless of all the partners you (ascribe to Allah and) worship

Other than Him! So get together, all of you! Grant me no respite! Do plan and play your tricks upon me

I trust Allah completely, my Lord and your Lord. There isn´t an animal He does not hold captive, seizing it by the lock of its hair. Indeed, (the blessing of) My Lord is upon the straight path

In case you turn away, remember that I have conveyed to you the message I was sent with. My Lord will cause another nation to take your place. You are not hurting Him a bit! My Lord keeps watch over each and every thing

When Our punishment landed, We saved Hood by Our mercy, along with those who had believed him; We saved them from an excruciating punishment

These people of ´Aad´! They rejected every proof of their Lord, the Cherisher, and defied His messengers. They followed the dictates of every obstinate tyrant

So, the curse followed them in this life as well as on the Day of Judgment. Listen to this! ´Aads´ rejected their Lord! Listen good! ´Aads´, the nation of ´Hood´ were hurled aside

Towards ´Samood´, We sent their brother Saleh. He said, "Oh my people! Worship Allah! You do not have any other god besides Him. He brought you forth from dirt and settled you on the earth. So, seek forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. My Lord is really close by, and He responds

They said, "Oh Saleh, before this you were one of us and we had such high hopes for you. Are you trying to keep us from worshipping the deities our forefathers worshipped? We are really in doubt about your message and we hesitate to listen to you

He said, "Oh my people, what would you suggest? I have clear proofs from my Lord and He has granted me His mercy. Now, shall I defy Him? In that case who would protect me from Allah? Your suggestions can only cause me a devastating loss

Oh my people, this camel is a sign for you from Allah. Leave it alone and let it graze freely in Allah´s land. If you ever touch it with evil intentions, a calamity will befall you right away

Yet, they slaughtered it. So he said, "Enjoy your houses. You have three days! This is not a false promise

And when Our punishment approached, We protected Saleh and those who believed in him. By Our Grace, We saved them from the disgrace of that day. Your Lord is indeed very Strong and Omnipotent

A blast gripped the evildoers and flipped them flat out on their backs _ right in their homes _ in the morning

It was as if they had never lived in their houses. Listen! The Samoods rejected their Lord! Listen good! Samoods were hurled aside

And surely, Our messengers _ (Our angels) _ brought the glad tidings to Ibraheem. They said "Peace". He replied, "Peace" and rushed to serve them a roasted calf

They did not stretch their hands towards the food. When he realized this, he was worried and felt frightened in his heart. They said, "Do not be afraid, we have been sent to the nation of Loot

His wife, standing there, let out a laughter. We gave her the good news of (a son) Ishaq and after Ishaq, Yaqub

She said, "Woe to me! Will I give birth? I am old and this husband of mine is old! This would really be an odd thing

They said, "Are you incredulous of the power and authority of your Lord? The mercy and the blessings of Allah are upon you, the residents of this house! He is worthy of all praise and He is really extremely Proficient

After Ibraheem received the good news, and once the fear had left him, he began pleading with Us on behalf of the people of Loot

Ibraheem was really very mild mannered, forbearing, and soft hearted

Oh Ibraheem! Leave it! Let it be! Your Lord´s decree has arrived. An unavoidable torment will befall them

And Our angels came to Loot. Their appearance bothered and distressed him a lot and he said, "This is a terrible day

The people of his tribe came rushing towards him. Before this, too, they used to commit despicable acts. He said, "Oh my people! My daughters are here. They are holier and more befitting for you. Fear Allah and do not dishonor me before my guests! Isn´t there even a single rational person among you

They said, "Oh Loot, you have already learned that we have no interest in your daughters! You are well aware of what we desire

He said, "If only I had any power over you! If only I could turn to a formidable resource (against you)

The (angels) said, "Oh Loot! In reality, we are the angels of your Lord. These people will never get close to you! Gather your family during the night and slip away, except your wife. Whatever befalls others will strike her, too! Let no one turn around to watch the town. Dawn is their appointed time, and dawn is not far away

And when Our decree landed, We turned them upside down and rained upon them stacks of stones made of baked clay, in quick succession

These stones were marked by your Lord. The ruins (of the people of Loot) are not far away from the evildoers (living in your town)

And towards ´Madyan´ (was sent) their brother, Shoaib. He said, "Oh my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god besides Him! And do not decrease (cheat at) the measure or the scale. I see you wealthy, but I´m afraid you may be punished on that thorough day

Oh my people! Employ the measure and the scales correctly! Do not shortchange people in their goods! And do not go about spreading mischief in the land

Your savings from Allah´s grant are much better for you, if you only believe; and I am not appointed a guardian over you

They said, "Oh Shoaib, does your ´salat´ teach you that? Are you asking us to give up the deities our forefathers worshipped? Or that we should quit spending our wealth as we deem fit? Aren´t you the gentle and the rational one

He said, "Oh people! What if I really am upon a clear proof from my Lord, and what if He really has endowed me with a special gift? What would you say then? I do not want to commit that which I myself have advised you against. I want only to correct whatever I can! My good fortune (the ability to reform) is from Allah alone. Upon Him I trust and towards Him I turn

And oh People! Do not ever let your antagonism towards me impair you, lest one of the calamities _ the likes of which struck the people of Nooh, the people of Hood and the people of Saleh _ strikes you, too. And the era of the people of Loot is not far removed from that of your own

And seek forgiveness from your Lord, then turn towards Him in repentance. My Lord is really very Kind, and very Loving

They said, "Oh Shoaib! We do not understand much of what you say. However, we do find you weak among us. Had it not been for the family ties, we would have stoned you to death! You are not precious among us

Said, "Oh my people! Do you consider my family ties mightier than Allah? And have you turned your backs on Him? My Lord has definitely hemmed in around your actions from all sides (He is well aware of your actions)

Oh my people, you stay on your course of action and I will carry out my task. Soon, you will discover who turns out to be the liar, and upon whom lands the degrading punishment. So wait, I too shall wait with you

And when Our punishment arrived, We rescued Shoaib by Our mercy, and along with him the believers. A blast seized the evil doers. They were left dead, turned turtle in their homes

As if, they had never lived there! Listen good! Just like the Samoods, the Madyanese, too, were tossed away

And really, We sent Musa with Our signs and the clear proofs

Towards the pharaoh and his chiefs! But they continued to obey the dictates of the pharaoh. And the commands of the pharaoh were not well guided

On the Day of Judgment, he (the pharaoh) will lead his people; he will pilot them right into the hellfire, the worst quarters to have to enter

A curse followed them in this life, and stayed with them on the Day of Judgment! Wretched is the gift they received

We narrate to you these reports of some of the towns. Some of them are still standing, while others have long been mowed down

We did not tyrannize them! In fact, they indulged themselves unjustly. The punishment of your Lord arrived, and the gods they implored besides Allah could not protect them a bit. Rather, they only helped to enhance their ruin

Such is the severe punishment of your Lord when He seizes a town over its evil deeds. The capture by Him is very painful indeed

In it, surely, is a sign for any one who fears the punishment of the afterlife. That is the day of congregation for all people, and that is the day of testimony for all souls

We have only put it off for a brief period

On the day that is sure to come, no soul will utter a word without His permission. Some amongst them would be mournful, others jubilant

The mournful ones will be in fire, left there to moan and groan

They shall reside in it till eternity, as long as the heavens and the earth exist, unless your Lord desires something else. Your Lord definitely gets to do what He intends

And the jubilant ones will be in paradise! They will reside there till eternity _ an unceasing gift, as long as the heavens and the earth exist, unless your Lord desires something else

So, do not entertain any doubt about the deities of these people. They are merely worshipping what their forefathers had worshipped before them, and We will provide them their share of the punishment _ without any curtailment

Surely, We had awarded Musa the book; but they disputed it. Had the word from your Lord not already gone out, their dispute would have been settled. In fact, they remained in doubt and therefore, vacillated

Definitely! Your Lord will fully compensate the deeds of all of them. He is really well Aware of all their deeds

So, stay steadfast as commanded! You, along with those who have turned towards you! And do not overstep the bounds! He surely watches all your deeds

Do not rely on the evil doers, or else the fire (of hell) will torment you. Then you will not be helped. You will not have any friends besides Allah, nor will you be helped

And establish the ´Salat´ in the morning, the evening and during the night. The good deeds do, surely, nullify the bad ones! This is an exhortation for all those who are seeking advice

And be patient! Surely, Allah does not waste the reward of the pious

Why was it that the towns before you did not have people with wisdom _ except a few whom We rescued _ who could prevent the spread of mischief in the land? The evildoers persued the enjoyment of luxury and wealth. They were criminals

Your Lord is not one to destroy a town unjustly so long as its residents are righteous

Had your Lord wanted, He would have made all humans to be only one nation. They will always continue to dispute

Except those upon whom your Lord has bestowed mercy. For this reason, He created them. The word of your Lord has come to pass, "I shall definitely pack the hell with jinn and the humans, together

We narrate to you all these stories of the past messengers in order to strengthen your heart. The absolute truth has come to you! It is an exhortation and the guidance for the believers

And tell the unbelievers, "Carry on in your place, while I shall continue my task

Go ahead and wait! I, too, am waiting

All the concealed mysteries of the heavens and the earth belong to Allah. All matters _ every single one of them _ are referred to Him. So, worship Him and rely on Him! Your Lord is not unaware of your deeds