English - Chapter 26 - Ash-Shuara

Tua Sin M'im

These are verses of the Glorious Book

O Muhammad, you will perhaps fret yourself to death with grief because they do not believe

If We wanted, We could send down upon them a sign from the heaven before which they would bend their necks in submission, but that is not what We want

They have been turning their backs on each fresh warning that comes to them from the Compassionate (Allah)

But now that they have neglected the warning, they will soon come to know the reality of what they have been mocking at

Have they not looked at the earth to see how We have caused all kinds of noble pairs to grow in it

Surely in this there is a sign; yet most of them do not believe

In fact your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

Remind them of the story when your Lord called Moses and said: "Go to the wicked people

the people of Pharoah (Pharaoh). Have they no fear

Moses submitted, saying: "My Lord! I fear that they will reject me

My breast feels cramped and my tongue is not eloquent; send Haroon (Aaron)

They have a charge of manslaughter against me and I fear they may put me to death

Allah said: "Indeed not! Proceed, both of you, with Our signs; surely We are with you, listening

Go to Pharoah and tell him: "We are the Messengers from the Lord of the Worlds

You should send with us the Children of Israel

When they went to Pharoah and conveyed the Message of Allah, he said: "Did we not cherish you when you were a child? Did you not stay several years of your life among us

Then you did what you did; you are so ungrateful

Moses replied: "I did that when I was a misguided youth

I fled from you all because I feared you; but now my Lord has granted me wisdom and appointed me as one of His Messengers

Is it a favor with which you taunt me, that you have enslaved the Children of Israel

Pharoah said: "Who is this Lord of the Worlds

Moses replied: "He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them, if you really care to believe

Pharoah said to those around him, "Do you hear that

Moses continued: "He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers

Pharoah interjected: "This Messenger of yours, who has been sent to you, is crazy

Moses continued:" He is the Lord of the east and west, and all that lies between them. If you would only care and try to understand

At this, Pharoah, who did not want to listen any more said: "If you serve any other god besides me, I shall have you thrown into prison

At this, Moses said: "What if I show you a convincing sign

Pharoah said: "Go ahead, show it if you are of the truthful

Hearing this, Moses threw down his staff, and thereupon it changed into a veritable serpent

Then he drew forth his hand and it became shining bright for the spectators

After witnessing both the miracles, Pharoah (Pharaoh) said to the chiefs around him: "This fellow is certainly a skilled magician

who seeks to drive you out from your land by the force of his magic. Now what is your advice

They submitted: "Put him and his brother off for a while, and dispatch heralds to the various cities

to bring you every skilled magician

So the magicians were brought together at the appointed time on a fixed day

The people were motivated through saying: "Would you come to the gathering

So that we may follow the magicians if they are dominant

When the magicians arrived, they asked Pharoah: "Shall we get a reward if we are dominant

Pharoah replied: "Yes of course! You will even be made my courtiers

Moses said to them: "Cast down what you are going to cast

Thereupon they cast down their ropes and staffs, saying: "By the glory of Pharoah, we shall be the winners

Then Moses threw down his staff, and lo! It swallowed their false devices

At this, all the magicians prostrated themselves

saying: "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds

the Lord of Moses and Haroon (Aaron)

Pharoah shouted: "How dare you believe in him before I give you permission? He must be your master who taught you the witchcraft. But soon you shall find out. I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides and crucify you all

They replied: "We don’t care! We are going to return to our Lord anyway

We only desire that our Lord may forgive us our sins, as we are the first to believe

We revealed to Moses, saying: "Set off with my servants by night and beware that you will be pursued

Pharoah (Pharaoh) sent heralds to all the cities

and to mobilize his people he said: "These Israelites are but a handful of people

who have provoked us much

while we have a large army, well prepared

Thus did We make them leave their gardens and their water springs

their treasures and sumptuous dwellings

This is how they were made to lose, while on the other hand We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things

At sunrise the Egyptians pursued them

When the two hosts came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out: "We are surely overtaken

Moses said: "Not at all! My Lord is with me; He will show me a way out

Then We revealed Our will to Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff," and the sea was cleft asunder, each part stood like a mighty mountain

We made the other party (Pharoah and his army) follow them

We delivered Moses and all who were with him

and drowned the others

Surely there is a lesson in this: yet most of these people do not learn this lesson to become believers

The fact is that your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

Narrate to them the story of Abraham

when he asked his father and his people: "What is that which you worship

They replied: "We worship idols, and sit beside them with all devotion

Abraham asked: "Do they hear you when you call on them

Can they help you or harm you

They replied: "No! But we found our forefathers doing so

Abraham said: "Have you ever seen with open eyes these which you have been worshipping

you and your forefathers

They are all enemies to me; except the Lord of the Worlds

Who created me, then He gave me guidance

He is the One Who gives me food and drink

Who gives me health when I get sick

Who will cause me to die and then bring me back to life

Who, I hope, will forgive me my mistakes on the Day of Judgment

After this, Abraham prayed: "O my Lord! Bestow wisdom upon me and admit me among the righteous

grant me a reputation of truthfulness on the tongue of later generations

count me among the inheritors of the paradise of Bliss

forgive my father, for he is from among those who have gone astray

do not hold me up in shame on the Day when everybody will be raised back to life

the Day when neither wealth nor sons will avail anyone

and when none shall be saved except him who will come before Allah with a pure heart

when paradise shall be brought in the sight of the righteous

while hell shall be spread open to the straying

and they will be asked: "Now, where are those whom you worshipped

besides Allah? Can they help you or even help themselves

Then they will be toppled into it, both they and those who misled them

together with all the armies of Iblees

wherein they will argue with one another

saying: " By Allah, we were indeed in manifest error

when we made you equals with the Lord of the Worlds

It was the criminals who led us astray

Now we have no intercessors

and no loving friends

If we could but once return to our worldly life, we would be of the true believers

Surely in this narration there is a great lesson, but most of these people do not learn a lesson to become believers

The fact is that your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

The people of Noah, also, rejected the Messengers

Remember when their brother Noah asked them: "Have you no fear of Allah

Rest assured that I am a trustworthy Messenger of Allah towards you

so fear Allah and obey me

I do not ask you for any reward for my services, for my reward will be given by the Lord of the Worlds

so fear Allah and obey me

They replied: "Should we believe in you, whereas your followers are but the lowest of the low

He said: "I have no knowledge as to what they have been doing

their account is the concern of my Lord, if you could use your common sense

I am not going to drive away any believer

I am nothing but a plain Warner

They said: "O Noah! If you do not stop, you shall be stoned to death

Noah prayed: "O Lord! My people have disobeyed me

Decide the case between me and them openly. Deliver me and the believers who are with me

So We granted his prayer, delivered him and those with him in the laden ark

and drowned the rest in the flood

Surely in this story there is a great lesson, but most of these people do not learn a lesson and become believers

The fact is that your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

The people of 'Ad, too, disbelieved their Messengers

Remember when their brother Hud asked them: "Have you no fear of Allah

Rest assured that I am a trustworthy Messenger of Allah towards you

So fear Allah and obey me

I do not ask you any reward for my services, for my reward will be given by the Lord of the Worlds

Are you erecting a monument on every high place for fun

Are you building strong fortresses as if you are going to live here forever

Whenever you lay your hands on anyone, you act like cruel tyrants

Have fear of Allah and obey me

Fear the One Who has given you all the things that you know

He has given you flocks and children

gardens and fountains

Truly I fear for you the torment of a dreadful Day

They replied: "It is the same to us whether you preach us or you are not one of the preachers

Such preaching is nothing but an ancient myth

We are not going to be punished

So they disbelieved him and We utterly destroyed them. Surely in this story there is a great lesson, but most of these people do not learn a lesson and become believers

The fact is that your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

The people of Thamud also disbelieved their Messengers

Remember when their brother Saleh asked them: "Have you no fear of Allah

Rest assured that I am a trustworthy Messenger of Allah towards you

So fear Allah and obey me

I do not ask you for any reward for my services, for my reward will be given by the Lord of the Worlds

Will you be left in peace to enjoy all that you have here forever

Gardens and fountains

cornfields and palm-trees laden with juicy fruit

carving your dwellings in the mountains and leading a happy life

Have fear of Allah and obey me

Do not follow the bidding of the extravagant

who create corruption in the land and reform nothing

They replied: "You are but one of the bewitched

You are no more than a human being like us. Bring forth a sign if you are one of the truthful

Saleh said: "Well, here is the she-camel (the sign that you asked for). She shall have her share of water as you all have yours, each drinking on an alternate appointed day

Do not touch her with evil, lest the punishment of a dreadful Day may overtake you

Yet they hamstrung her, then became full of regrets

so the punishment overtook them. Surely in this story there is a great lesson, but most of these people do not learn a lesson and become believers

The fact is that your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

The people of Lot, also, disbelieved their Messengers

Remember when their brother Lot asked them: "Have you no fear of Allah

Rest assured that I am a trustworthy Messenger of Allah towards you

So fear Allah and obey me

I do not ask you for any reward for my services, for my reward will be given by the Lord of the Worlds

Will you fornicate with males from among the creatures of the worlds

and leave those whom your Lord has created for you to be your mates? Nay! You are a people who have transgressed all limits

They replied: "If you do not stop, O Lot, you shall become one of the expelled

Lot said: "I am certainly one of those who abhor your actions

O Lord! Deliver me and my family from their wicked deeds

So We delivered him and all his family

except an old woman who was left among those who remained behind

Then We utterly destroyed the rest

We rained down on them the rain of brimstones: and evil was the rain which fell on those who were forewarned

Surely in this story there is a great lesson, but most of these people do not learn a lesson and become believers

The people of Aiykah, also, disbelieved their Messengers

Remember Shu‘aib asked them: "Have you no fear of Allah

Rest assured that I am a trustworthy Messenger of Allah towards you

So fear Allah and obey me

I do not ask you for any reward for my services, for my reward will be given by the Lord of the Worlds

Give full measure and be not of those who cause losses to others by fraud

Weigh with even scales

and do not cheat your fellow men of what is rightly theirs: nor spread evil in the land

Fear Him Who has created you and the generations before you

They replied: "You are surely one of those who are bewitched

You are no more than a human being like us and we think that you are lying

Let a fragment fall out of the sky on us if you are telling the Truth

Shu’aib said: "My Lord has full knowledge of all your actions

So they disbelieved him, and the torment of the day of darkness (dark clouds carrying Allah's scourge) seized them, and indeed it was the torment of an extremely dreadful day

Surely in this story there is a great lesson, but most of these people do not learn a lesson and become believers

The fact is that your Lord is the Mighty as well as the Merciful

Surely this Qur’an is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds

The trustworthy Spirit (Angel Gabriel) brought it down

upon your heart so that you may become one of those who are appointed by Allah to warn the people

in a plain Arabic language

This fact was foretold in the scriptures of the former people

Is it not sufficient proof for the people that the learned men of the children of Israel knew about it

Even so that if We had revealed it to a non-Arab

and he had recited it to them in fluent Arabic, they would still not have believed in it

We have thus caused unbelief in the hearts of the guilty

They are not going to believe in it until they see the painful scourge

which, in their heedlessness, will come to them suddenly

Then they will ask: "Can we be given some respite

Do they wish to hurry on Our scourge

Just think! If We let them enjoy this life for many years

and then the scourge with which they are threatened falls upon them

of what avail will their past enjoyments be to them

Never have We destroyed a population to whom We did not send Warners

they were forewarned, and We have never been unjust

This Qur’an is not brought down by the Satans

it is neither in their interest nor in their power to produce such a masterpiece

They are kept too far off to even hear it

So do not call on other gods besides Allah, lest you become one of those who incur His punishment

Admonish your close relatives

and lower your wing of kindness to those of the believers who follow you

but if they disobey, tell them: "I am not accountable for what you do

Put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Merciful

Who observes you when you get up

and when you walk among those who prostrate themselves in worship

He is the One Who hears all and knows all

Shall I tell you, O people, on whom the Satans descend

They descend on every slandering sinner

those who listen to hearsay - and most of them are liars

and those poets who are followed by those who go astray

Do you not see, how aimlessly they wander in every valley

preaching what they do not practice themselves

However, an exception is made for those (poets) who believe, do good deeds, engage much in the remembrance of Allah and defend themselves when wronged, showing no vindictiveness. The unjust oppressors will soon find out what vicissitudes their affairs will take