English - Chapter 21 - Al-Anbiya

For the human beings, their time of reckoning is near, and yet they pass their time in utter recklessness.h

No aspect of divinity comes to them from their Lord in the form of a fresh anecdote but they listen to it in jest

The Prophet said, "My Lord knows every word spoken anywhere in the heavens and the earth. And He is the One to hear and the One to know everything

But they variously said, "Just a confusing mixture of dreams!" "But he has forged it." "But he is a poet." "Let him then bring to us a sign just as the earlier prophets were sent with

Any town/village that We had destroyed before them, too, had not believed! Will they, taking this fact into account at least, believe

And We sent (as Prophets/Messengers for mankind), before you, none but men inspired with Our Revelation. Ask the people of the Reminder (divinely revealed Book) if you do not know

And We had not made them bodies that did not eat food, and they were not immortal

And We made Our promise good to them; We saved them and those whom We pleased, and We destroyed the transgressors

Verily We have revealed to you a Book in which are things for you to ponder over, remember and abide by. Do you then not use your intelligence to understand it

And many a town/village, whose inhabitants were cruel, did We shatter, and We raised up, thereafter, another people

No sooner did they perceive Our punishment coming than they began to flee therefrom

Flee not, and come back to the affluence you were accustomed to live in and to your homes for being questioned

They said, "O woe to us! We were wicked

And this cry of theirs continued till We made them like smouldering harvested field

And We did not create the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, for fun

Had We wished to have some amusement, We would have derived it from within Ourselves, if at all.h

Nay! We cast the truth against the falsehood to demolish it (falsehood). And lo! Falsehood perishes. And woe to you for the (wrong) way you perceive things

And whoever is in the heavens and the earth is His. And those who are with Him are never too proud to worship Him, nor do they get weary

They glorify Allah, night and day, without a break

Or have they taken gods whom they themselves have fashioned/designed out of the earth

Had there been in them any gods other than Allah, the two (the heavens and the earth) would certainly have been in a state of disorder. Glorified then is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, above all that they attribute to Him

He cannot be questioned concerning what He does but they (human beings) shall be

Or have they taken gods other than Him? Say, "Produce your evidence! This is the precept (that there is no god besides Allah) for those with me and the precept for those before me." But most of them do not know the truth, and so they are intransigent

And We did not send before you any Messenger but We revealed to him that there is no god but I, and so worship Me

And they say, "The Gracious One has begotten (angels)!" Glorified is He. Nay! They are His honoured worshippers

They do not speak ahead of Him and they act at His Command

HE knows what they know of and what they do not know of. And they intercede not except for him whom He wills and they are on their guard in awe of Him

And whoever of them says that he is indeed a god besides Him, We award Hell to such a one. We do thus award the wicked people

Do those who suppress the Truth not see that the heavens and the earth were both one in kind, and then We did distinguish the two. And We have made of water everything living, will they not then believe

And We have placed mountains in the earth so that positions thereon do not move. And We have made therein passes to enable people to move about and find their way

And We have made the sky a protective roof and yet they are oblivious to its signs

And He it is Who created the night and the day, the sun and the moon. All in orbit float

And We did not ordain immortality for any man before you. And so if you die, will they remain alive

Every one must taste death. And We test you with trial periods of adversity and prosperity. And to Us you shall be brought back

And when those who suppress the Truth see you, they do not take you but for one to be scoffed at, "Is this the one who talks of your gods?" And they suppress mention of the Gracious One

Man is created hasty in nature. Soon shall I show you My signs. So be not hasty

And they ask, "When will this prediction come to pass if what you say is true

Had those who suppress the Truth but known that a time would come when they shall not be able to ward off the fire from their faces or from their backs! And then they shall get no help

But it (the time mentioned in Verse above) shall come on them all of a sudden and catch them unawares. And they shall not be able to avert it. And they shall not be given any respite

And certainly Messengers before you were scoffed at. But then the thing they mocked about surrounded those of them who scoffed

Ask them, "Who can guard you, by night and by day, from the Gracious One?" And, yet, they turn away at the mention of their Lord

Or, have they gods who can defend them against Us? They shall not be able to help themselves. Nor shall they have any benefit of association with Us

But, for a prolonged period in their lives, We did provide for them and their fathers with good things of life. Have they therefore become so complacent as not to see that We are closing in on them from all sides? And does their complacency make them think that they shall still prevail

Tell them, "I warn you only because I have been divinely instructed to do so." And the deaf do not hear the call howsoever much they are warned

And if punishment of your Lord were to touch them even slightly, they would certainly say, "O woe to us! We did indeed commit wrong

And We will set up just scales for the Day of Resurrection, so no wrong shall be done to anyone. And if there be anything as little in weight as that of a mustard seed, We will present it nevertheless. And We are sufficiently proficient in keeping accounts

And certainly We did give Moses and Aaron the Criterion, a Light, and a Book often to refer to for guidance to those who would fear Allah and be pious

Those that feared their Lord without seeing Him and were anxiously concerned about the Hour (marking the end of this world and heralding the Day of Judgment in the Hereafter)

And would you then deny that this (Qur'aan) is the blessed Book, often to refer to for guidance, We have now revealed

And certainly We did give Abraham, before (Moses and Aaron), his firmly right conduct. And We were aware of this

When he asked his father and his people, "What statues are these that you are so devoted to

They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them

Abraham said, "Certainly you had — you and your fathers — gone far astray

They said, "Are you telling us the truth, or just making fun of us

He said, "But your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who created them out of nothing. And I am of those who bear witness to this

And, by Allah! I will certainly do something to your idols after you go away, turning your backs

So he broke those (idols) into pieces, except for the biggest of them, that they (polytheists) may turn to it (to inform them as to who did the destruction of the other idols)

They asked, "Who has done this to our gods? The one who did this is certainly one of those most wicked

Some said, "We had heard a youth called Abraham speaking about them

The others said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people. Let all witness

The polytheists said, "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham

Abraham said, "Nay, it is this one — the chief of them — that has done it. So ask them, if they can speak coherently

Then, turning to themselves, they said, "You yourselves indeed are in the wrong

And, their heads hanging down, they said to Abraham, "You do know they do not speak

Abraham said, "Do you then worship, besides Allah, that which brings you no benefit at all, and no harm either

Fie on you and on that which you worship besides Allah! Why do you not use your intellect

They said, "Put him in the fire and help your gods, if you are going to do anything

WE ordered, "O fire! Be you a source of cool comfort and peace on Abraham

And they had designed a plot against him, but We made them themselves the doomed ones

And We saved him and Lot and led them to the land in which We had placed Our blessings for all

And We gave him Isaac — and, in addition, Jacob — and We made them righteous

And We made them leaders who guided people by Our command. And We revealed to them how good deeds are done, how prayers are performed, and how charities are given. And Us certainly they obeyed

And Lot — We gave him wisdom and knowledge. And We delivered him from the town that did bad things. They were indeed a wicked, transgressing people (indulging in the sin of homosexuality).h

And We took him (Lot) under Our mercy. He was indeed one of the righteous men

And Noah — when he called out in an earlier period, We answered him, and delivered him and his family from the acute suffering (of drowning)

And We helped him against the people who rejected Our Verses/signs. They were indeed a wicked people, and so We drowned them all

And David and Solomon — when they gave their judgments in the matter of the field wherein the sheep of some people pastured by night. And We bore witness to their judgments.h

And We made Solomon to understand the problem better; but We gave wisdom and knowledge to each one of them. And We made the mountains, and the birds to sing Our praise with David (in the Psalms ). And We did all that

And We taught him (David) how to make for you armours that fortify you in your battles. Are you then grateful

And to Solomon We made subservient the stormy wind, which blew at his command to the land We had blessed. And We did know all things

And of the devils there were those who dived for him and did other work besides. And We were guardians over them

And Job — as he cried to his Lord, "A calamity indeed it is that has afflicted me! And You are the most Merciful

And We responded to him and removed whatever affliction he had. And We gave him his family, and as many more with them, out of mercy from Us and for Allah's worshippers to remember

And Ishmael and Idris and Zulkifl — they were all of those who were patient

And We admitted them to Our Mercy. They were indeed among the righteous people

And the man of the fish — when he went away in anger, thinking We would not punish him! Then, among the darknesses (of the fish belly), he cried, "There is no god but You, glorified You are! I have indeed been of those who do wrong

Then We responded to him and delivered him from the grief. And thus do We deliver those who believe

And Zachariah — when he cried to his Lord, "O my Lord! Leave me not alone (without an heir). And You are the best of inheritors

And We responded to him and gave him John (Yahya) and made his wife fit to bear the child. They did indeed try to surpass one another in deeds of goodness and they prayed to Us in hope and fear. And they were humble before Us

And the lady (Mary) — who guarded her chastity, and We breathed into her of Our spirit and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds

Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord! So worship Me

And they tore apart their (common) duty (of worshipping the sole Creator) among themselves. All shall return to Us

Then one who performs some good deeds, and is a believer too — there shall be no concealment of his/her efforts! And surely indeed We will record it (the good deeds)

And an injunction against any village/town that We have destroyed: they shall not return

Until the time Gog and Magoghare let loose and they descend from every prominent position

And the true promise (of Resurrection) shall draw nigh. Then lo! The eyes of those who suppressed the Truth shall open wide in fear. They shall say, "O woe to us! We certainly were heedless of this; nay, we were wicked

You and what you worship besides Allah are indeed the fuel of Hell-fire; to it you shall come

Had these been gods, they would not have come to it (Hell) and all shall be there eternally

For them therein wailing and they therein shall not hear

Indeed those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us shall be kept far off from it (Hell)

They will not hear its (Hell's) faintest sound, and they shall for ever be in what they desire

The great fearful event shall not grieve them, and the angels shall meet and tell them, "This is your promised Day

The Day We roll up heaven like the scroll of records is rolled up! As did We originate the first creation, so shall We revive it! A promise binding on Us. We will indeed fulfill it

And certainly We did write in the Zabur, after the recounting of events, that My righteous worshippers shall inherit the earth

Indeed in this is a message for people who worship

And We have hot sent you but as a Mercy to the worlds

Say, "It is revealed to me that the Entity Whom you all ought to worship is but One and Only [Allah]! Will you then submit

But if they turn back, say, "I have given you a warning in fairness and I know not what you are warned of is near or far

HE does indeed know what is spoken openly and He knows what you hide

And I know not but this (your life in this world) may be a trial for you and a provision to enjoy for a time

He (the Prophet) said, "O my Lord! Decide justly (between me and my recalcitrant people). And our Lord is the Gracious One — the One Whose help is sought against what you (the recalcitrant people) say