English - Chapter 43 - Az-Zukhruf

Ha Mim. (two mystical letters)

By the Book that makes things clear

Surely We have made it an Arabic Lecture (Quran) that you may understand

And surely it is in the Mother of the Books with Us, truly sublime, full of wisdom

What! Shall We, then, turn away the Reminder (Quran) from you altogether because you are a wanton (transgressing) people

And how many a prophet have We sent among the ancients

And there came not to them a prophet but they mocked at him

Then We destroyed those who were stronger than these in prowess, and the case of the ancients has gone before them

And if you should ask them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would most certainly say, "The Mighty, the Knower, has created them

Yea, He Who made the earth a resting-place for you, and made in it ways for you that you may go aright

And Who sends down water from the cloud according to a measure, then We raise to life thereby a dead land, even thus shall you be brought forth

And He Who created pairs of all things, and made for you of the ships and the cattle that you ride on

That you may firmly sit on their backs, then remember the favour of your Lord when you are firmly seated thereon, and say, "Glory be to Him Who made this subservient to us, for we could not do it by ourselves

And surely to our Lord we are returning

And yet they attribute to His servants a share in the Godhead; truly man is ungrateful

What! Has He taken daughters to Himself out of what He Himself creates and chosen you to have sons

And when one of them is given news (of the birth) of that of which he sets up as a likeness for the Beneficent Allah (i.e. daughters), his face becomes black and he is full of rage

What! (Liken they Allah to) that which is bred among ornaments and which in disputes cannot make itself plain (or give an account of itself)

And they make the angels, who are the servants of the Beneficent Allah, female (divinities). What! Did they witness their creation? Their evidence shall be recorded and they shall be questioned

And they say, "If the Beneficent Allah had pleased, we should never have worshipped them." They have no knowledge of this; they only lie

Or have We given them a book before it (the Quran) so that they hold fast to it

Nay! They say, "We found our fathers in a religion, and surely we are guided by their footsteps

And even so, We did not send before you (Muhammad) any Warner into any town, but those who led easy lives in it (the wealthy or leisured) said, "Surely we found our fathers in a religion, and surely we will follow in their footsteps

He (The Warner) said, "What! Even if I bring to you a better guide than that in which you found your fathers?" They said, "Lo! We deny that you are sent (or that with which you are sent)

So We inflicted retribution on them, then see how was the end of the rejecters

And when Abraham said to his father and his people, "Surely I am innocent of what you worship

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

And he left it as a word to endure in his posterity that they may return (to Allah)

Nay! I let them and their fathers enjoy life until there came to them the Truth and a Messenger making things clear

And when the Truth came to them they said, "This is magic, and lo! We are disbelievers in it

And they say, "Why was not this Quran revealed to a man of importance in the two towns

Will they distribute (portion out, administer) the mercy of your Lord? We distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world, and We have exalted some of them above others in degrees, that some of them may take others in subjection (or take)

And were it not that all mankind might have become of a single (evil) community (or way of life), We might well have assigned to those who blaspheme against the Beneficent silver for the roofs of their houses and the stairs by which they ascend

And for the doors of their houses and the couches on which they recline

And also ornaments of gold. But all this is naught but provision of the life of this world, and the Hereafter with your Lord is only for the righteous (or those who guard against evil)

And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent (Allah), We appoint for him a devil (or a Satan), who becomes his comrade

And most surely they turn them away from the path, and they think that they are guided aright

Until when he comes to Us, he says (to his devil), "O would that between me and you there were the distance of the two Easts"; evil, indeed, is the companion

What! Can you (O Muhammad) make the deaf to hear or guide the blind and him who is in clear error

But if We should take you away, still We shall inflict retribution on them

Or We will show you that which We have promised them; for surely We are the possessors of full power over them

Therefore hold fast to that which has been revealed to you; surely you are on the Straight Way

And most surely it (the Quran) is a Reminder for you and your people, and you shall soon be questioned

And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent

And verily We sent Moses with Our revelations to Pharaoh and his chiefs, so he said, "Surely I am the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds

But when he came to them with Our signs, lo! They laughed at them

And every sign that We showed them was greater than its predecessor, and We overtook them with chastisement that they may turn (to Us)

And they said, "O sorcerer! Call on your Lord for our sake, by the covenant He has made with you; we shall surely become followers of the right way

But when We removed from them the chastisement, lo! They broke the pledge

And Pharaoh proclaimed amongst his people, saying, "O my people! Is not the sovereignty of Egypt mine? And these rivers which flow beneath me; do you not then see

Nay! I am surely better than this fellow, who is a contemptible wretch, and who can hardly speak distinctly (or plainly)

But why have not bracelets of gold been put upon him, or why have there not come with him angels as companions

So he incited his people to levity and they obeyed him: surely they were a transgressing people

Then when they displeased Us, We inflicted a retribution on them, so We drowned them every one

And We made them a precedent and example to the later generations

And when the example of the son of Mary (Jesus) is given, lo! Your people raise a clamour (of ridicule) there at

And they say, "Are our gods better, or is he?" They raise not the objection save by way of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people

He was naught but a servant on whom We bestowed favour, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel

And if We please, We could make among you angels to be vicegerents (or successors) in the land

And most surely it is (the above events or the Quran or he, Jesus) is a sign of the knowledge of coming of the Hour (of Resurrection and Judgment), therefore have no doubt about it and follow Me: this is the Straight Way

And let not the Satan prevent you; surely he is your open enemy

And when Jesus came with clear arguments he said, "I have come unto you with wisdom, and that I may make clear to you some of that wherein you differ; so be careful of your duty to Allah and obey me

Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path." (See John)

But parties from among them differed, so woe to those who do wrong because of the chastisement of a painful day

Do they wait for aught but the Hour, that it should come upon them all of a sudden while they perceive not

The friends shall on that day be enemies one to another, except those who guard (against evil)

O My servants! There is no fear for you this day, nor shall you grieve

Those who believed in Our revelations and Surrendered (in Islam)

Enter you the Garden, you and your wives, rejoicing

There shall be sent round to them golden plates and cups and therein shall be all that their souls desire, and delights the eyes, and you shall abide therein

Such will be the Garden which you are given as an inheritance for what you did

For you therein are abundant fruits of which you shall eat with full satisfaction

Surely the guilty shall abide in the chastisement of hell

It shall not be abated from them and they shall despair therein

It is not We who are unjust to them, but it is they who were unjust to themselves

And they shall call out, "O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us." He shall say, "Verily, here you must remain

Certainly We have brought you the Truth, but most of you are averse to the Truth

Or have they settled affairs? But it is We who are the Settlers

Or do they think that We do not hear what they conceal and their secret discourses? Indeed We do, and Our messengers are with them, recording

Say, "If the Beneficent has a son, I am the foremost of those who serve him

Glorified be the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne (of Authority), from what they describe

So leave them flounder in false discourses and sporting until they meet their Day which they are promised

And He it is Who is God in the heavens and God in the earth; and He is the Wise, the Knower

And blessed is He Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, and to Him shall you be returned

And those whom they call upon besides Him have no power of intercession, except he who bears witness unto the Truth with sure knowledge (or they know him -i.e. Muhammad)

And if you should ask them who created them, they would certainly say, "Allah." Whence are they then turned away

Consider his (the Prophet´s) cry, "O my Lord! Surely they are a people who do not believe

So turn away from them and say, "Peace", for they shall soon come to know