English - Chapter 43 - Az-Zukhruf

Ha M'im

By the Glorious Book

We have revealed this Qur’an in the Arabic language so that you may understand its meanings

Surely, it is a transcript of the Mother Book in Our keeping, which is sublime and full of wisdom

Should We take this Reminder away from you and ignore you because you are a nation who has transgressed all limits

And how many Prophets have We sent among the ancient peoples

Never did it happen that a Prophet came to his people and they did not mock at him

So We destroyed them, though they were stronger in power than these people, and provided an example in the case of prior people

If you ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the earth?" They will surely say: "They have been created by the All-Mighty, the All-Knowledgeable

The One Who has made the earth a resting place for you and traced out routes upon it so that you may find your ways

The One Who sends down rain from the sky in due measure and thereby resurrects a dead land - that’s how you shall be brought forth (raised to life again)

The One Who has created all living things in pairs and made for you the ships and cattle on which you ride

so that you may firmly sit on their backs, then as you mount, recall the goodness of your Lord and say: "Glory be to Him Who has subjected these to Our use, otherwise We could not have brought them under our control

and to our Lord we shall all return

Yet in spite of recognizing all this, they have made some of His servants to be a part of Him! Surely mankind is clearly ungrateful

Would Allah choose daughters (pagan Arabs believed that angels were the daughters of Allah) for Himself out of what He Himself creates and gives you sons

Yet when a new born-girl - the gender that they ascribe to the Compassionate - is announced to one of them, his face darkens and he is filled with grief

Do they ascribe to Allah, the female gender who is brought up among trinkets and is unable to make herself clear in disputation

They regard the angels, who are themselves servants of the Compassionate, as female divinities. Did they witness their creation? They should know that their testimony shall be noted down and they shall be called to account for it

They say: "Had it been the will of the Compassionate, We should never have worshipped them." They have no knowledge about that; they are merely guessing

Or have We given them a Book before this to which they hold authority for their angel-worshipping

The only argument they have is to say: "We found our forefathers practicing this faith and we are walking in their footsteps

Even so, whenever We sent a Warner before you to forewarn a nation, its affluent people said: "We found our forefathers practicing this faith and surely we are going to follow their footsteps

Each Warner asked: "What if I bring you better guidance than that which your forefathers practiced?" But they replied: "Well! We reject the faith with which you have been sent

Consequently, We inflicted Our retribution on them; then see what was the end of those who disbelieved

Behold! Abraham said to his father and his people: "I renounce the gods you worship

except Him Who created me, for He will surely guide me

And he left this statement as an abiding precept among his descendants, so that they should turn to it

But they started worshipping others, and rather than punishing I kept on providing them and their forefathers the comfort of this life, until there came to them the truth and a Messenger to expound it clearly

But now when the truth has came to them, they say: "This is magic and we do not believe it

They also say: "Why is this Qur’an not revealed to a man of great importance in the two towns (Mecca and Ta'if)

Is it they who distribute the blessings of your Lord? It is We Who distribute the means of their livelihood in the life of this world, raising some in rank above others, so that one may take others into his service. But the blessing of your Lord is far greater in value than the wealth of this world which they amass

And were it not that all mankind might become one nation of unbelievers, We would have given those who disbelieve in the Compassionate (Allah), such houses whose roofs, stairways by which they go to upper chambers all made with silver

and also the doors of their houses and couches on which they recline

along with ornaments of gold - for all these are nothing but merely comforts of this worldly life. It is the life of the hereafter which your Lord has reserved for the righteous

He who turns away from the remembrance (Reminder) of the Compassionate (Allah), We assign a Satan for him, who becomes his intimate companion

and turns such people away from the Right Path, while they think that they are guided aright

Ultimately, when that person will come to Us on the Day of Judgment, he will say to his Satan companion: "I wish that I was far apart from you as the east is from the west: you turned out to be an evil companion

Then it will be said to them: "Well, you have already done wrong, realizing this fact today will avail you nothing, as you both are partners in the same punishment

O Prophet, can you make the deaf hear, or give direction to the blind or those who choose to remain in manifest error

We shall surely inflict retribution on them, whether We take you away from this world

or let you see their end, which We have promised them: surely We have full power over them

Therefore, hold fast to this Qur’an which is revealed to you, surely you are on the Right Way

In fact this Qur’an is a reminder for you and your people; and you shall soon be questioned about it

Ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you if We ever appointed other gods to be worshipped besides the Compassionate Allah

We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs. He said to them: "I am a Messenger of the Lord of the worlds

When he showed them Our signs, they laughed at those signs

Yet We showed them sign after sign each greater than the one preceding it and We afflicted them with the scourge, so that they might return to the Right Way

Each time they were seized by a scourge, they requested Moses: "O magician! Pray to your Lord for us by virtue of the covenant He has made with you; we shall surely accept your guidance

But each time We lifted the scourge from them, they broke their pledge

One day Pharoah made a proclamation among his people: "O my people! Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? Are not these rivers flowing beneath me? Can you not see

Am I not better than this despicable wretch, who can hardly express himself clearly

Why have no gold bracelets been given to him, or angels sent down to accompany him

Thus did he incite his people and they obeyed him; surely they were a nation of transgressors

At last when they provoked Us, We inflicted retribution on them and drowned them all

and made them a lesson and an example for the later generations

When Mary’s son Jesus is quoted as an example, your people raise a clamor at it

and say: "Are Our gods better or is he?" They cite this to you merely to provoke you. They are but a quarrelsome people

He (Jesus) was no more than a mortal whom We favored and made an example to the Children of Israel

Had it been Our will, We could create angels from you to succeed you in the earth

He (Jesus) is, in fact, a sign for the coming of the Hour of Doom. Therefore, have no doubt about its coming, follow me; this is the Right Way

Let not Satan mislead you, for he is your open enemy

When Jesus came with clear signs, he stated: "I have brought you wisdom, and to clarify some of those things about which you have disputes: so fear Allah and obey me

Surely it is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is the Right Way

In spite of these teachings, the factions disagreed among themselves; so woe to the wrongdoers from the punishment of a painful Day

Are they waiting for the Hour of Doom that it should come on them all of a sudden, without warning

On that Day, even friends will become enemies to one another with the exception of the righteous people

O My devotees! Today you have nothing to fear or to regret

it will be said to those who believed in Our revelations and became Muslims

Enter paradise, you and your spouses; you will be made happy

There they shall be served with golden dishes and golden goblets, and they shall have everything that their souls can desire and all that their eyes can delight in - and it will be said to them: "Now you shall abide therein forever

You have inherited this paradise by virtue of your good deeds

therein you shall have plenty of fruit to eat

But the criminals will abide in the punishment of hell

Their punishment will never be lightened, and they shall remain despair therein

We did not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves

They will cry: "O Malik (the keeper of hell)! Let your Lord put and end to us." But he will answer: "Nay! You are going to live forever

If they have devised a plan to ruin you (O Muhammad), then surely We too shall devise a plan to ruin them

Do they think that We cannot hear their secret talks and their private conversation? Of course We do, and Our messengers (angels) who are assigned to them, record it all

O Prophet tell the Christians: "If the Compassionate (Allah) had a son, I would be the first to worship him

Glory be to the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne, He is above what they ascribe to Him

So let them blunder and play until they face their Day, which has been promised to them

It is He (Allah) Who is God in the heavens and God on earth; He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowledgeable

Blessed is He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them! He Alone has the knowledge of the Hour of Doom, and to Him you shall all be brought back

And those to whom they invoke besides Him, have no power to intercede for them except those who testify to the truth by virtue of knowledge

If you ask them Who created them, they will certainly say: "Allah." How then are they deluded away from the truth

Allah has heard the Prophet’s cry: "O Lord! Surely these are a people who would not believe

Therefore, O Prophet! Bear with them and wish them peace. They shall soon come to know the truth