English - Chapter 21 - Al-Anbiya

Nearer and nearer comes to mankind the Accounting of their (actions); Yet they do not listen and they turn away with carelessness

Not even (a little) of a new Message comes to them from their Lord, but they (only) listen to it as they play—

Their hearts playing with petty things, the wrongdoers hide their private talk: "Is this (human, the Prophet) more than a man like yourselves? Will you go into magic while you can see

He (the Prophet) said: "My Lord knows (every) word (spoken) in the heavens and on the earth: And He is All Hearing (Sami’), All Knowing (Aleem)

They (the disbelievers) say, "No, (they are) confused (songs) of dreams! No, he wrote it (by himself)! No, he is (only) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like those that were sent to (prophets) of old

(As to those people) before them, not even one of the peoples whom We destroyed believed: Will these believe

Also before you, the messengers we sent were only men, to whom We granted the Revelation: If you do not know this, ask those, the people of the Remainder [of the Scripture, the Torah and the Gospel]

Nor did We give them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they exempt from death

In the end, We kept Our promise to them, and We saved them and those whom We pleased, but destroyed those who exceeded (their) limits

Indeed, We have made clear for you a Book (the Quran) in which is a Message for you (mankind): Will you not then understand

How many were the populations We have totally destroyed because of their injustices, and set up in their places other peoples

Do not run away, but come back to the good things of this life given to you, and to your homes, in order that you may be called to account

They said: "Oh! Woe unto us! (Misery to us)! Truly, we were wrongdoers

And that cry of theirs did not stop, until We made them like a field to be cut (down) likes ashes silent and put out

And not for play did We create the heavens and earth and all that is between

If it had been Our wish to make a game, we should surely have made it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)

No, We throw the truth against falsehood, and it (truth) destroys it (the falsehood), and look! Falsehood disappears! Oh! Misery be to you for the (false) things that you ascribe (to Us)

And to Him belong all (creatures) in the heavens and on earth: And even those who are in His Presence are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they (ever) tired (of His service)

They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever get tired or slip

Or have they taken (other) gods from the earth who can raise the dead

In the heavens and the earth, if there were other gods besides Allah, there would have been ruin to both! But Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above whatever they associate with Him

He cannot be questioned for His actions, but they will be questioned (for theirs)

Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides Him? Say: "Bring your clear proof: This is the Message of those with me and the Message of those before me." But most of them do not know the Truth, and so they turn away

And not (even) one messenger did We send before you without this revelation sent by Us to him that; "There is no god but I (Allah): So worship Me

And they (disbelievers) say: "(Allah), the Most Gracious (Rahman) has begotten a son (child)." Glory to Him! They are (only) servants raised to honor

They do not speak before He (Allah) speaks (to them), and they act (only) by His command

He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no mediation except for those for whom (the intercessions) are accepted, and they stand in fear and respect to His (Glory)

And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am a god besides Him," such a one We should reward with Hell: Like this We reward those who do wrong

Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one), before We tore them apart? We made every living thing from water. Then, will they not believe

And on the earth we have set mountains standing firm, in case it should shake with them, and in there We have made wide roads (between mountains) for them to pass through: That they may receive guidance

And We have made heavens as (a proof) safe and well-guarded canopy. Still do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)

And it is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon: All (the heavenly bodies) go along, each in its rounded path

And we did not give permanent life to any man before you (in the world): Then if you should die, can they live permanently

Every soul shall have a taste of death: And We test you with evil and with good by way of trial. To Us you must be returned

And when the disbelievers see you, they treat you only with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one who talks of your gods?” And they lie (and slander) at the mention about (Allah,) the Most Gracious (Rahman)

Man is a creature of haste: Soon (enough) will I (Allah) show you My Signs: Then you will not ask Me to hasten (them)

And they say: "When will this promise become true, if you are telling the truth

If the disbelievers only knew (the time) when they will not be able to keep away the Fire from their faces, nor from their back and (when) no help can reach them

No, it may come to them all of a sudden and imprison them: No power will they have then to turn it away, nor will they (then) get relief

Indeed, many messengers before you were mocked, but their mockers were closed in by the (very) thing that they mocked

Say: "Who can keep you safe by night and by day from (the Anger of Allah,) the Most Gracious?" Yet, they turn away from the remembering of their Lord

Or do they have gods who can guard them from Us? They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected (from the Anger) from Us

No, We gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers till (their) time grew long for them; Do they not see that We slowly reduce (their) land from its far borders? Then, is it they who will win

Say: "I only warn you by the Revelation:" But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned

And if only a breath of the punishment from your Lord touches them, they will then say: "Misery to us! Truly, we did wrong

And We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be treated unjustly in the least. And if there is (anything less than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it up (for justice): And We are enough to take account

And indeed, We gave to Musa (Moses) and Haroon (Aaron) the basis (for judgment), and a Light and a Reminder (the Book, Torah) for those who would do right—

Those who fear their Lord in their (inner) most secret thoughts, and who hold the Hour (of Judgment) in fear

And this (Quran) is a blessed Reminder that We have sent down: Then will you reject it

And indeed, We bestowed on Ibrahim (Abraham), his guidance (and the courage of conduct), and We know well all about with him

When he said to his father and his people, "What are these images, to which you are (strongly) devoted

They said: "We found our fathers worshipping them

He said: "Indeed, you have been clearly in error— You and your fathers

They said: "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who play around

He said: "No, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): And I am one of the witnesses to this (truth)

And by Allah, I have a plan for your idols— After you go away and turn your backs

So he broke them to pieces, (everyone) except the biggest of them, that they might turn (and try asking) it

They said: “Who has done this to our gods? Truly, he must be a person of impiety

They said: "We heard a young man talking about them: He is called Ibrahim (Abraham)

They said: "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, so that they may bear witness

They said: "Are you the one that did this to our gods, O Ibrahim (Abraham)

He said: "No, this was done by— This is the biggest one of them! Ask them, if they can speak sensibly

So they turned amongst themselves and said, "Surely, you are the ones in the wrong

Then they were confused, faced with shame: (They said:) "You know very well that these (idols) do not speak

Ibrahim (Abraham) said: "Then do you worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any benefit to you nor do you any harm

Disgust (and shame) upon you, and upon things that you worship besides Allah! Have you no sense

They said: "Burn him and protect your gods, if you do (anything at all)

We (Allah) said: "O Fire! You become cool, and (be a means of) peace for Ibrahim (Abraham)

And then they tried a scheme against him: But We made them the ones who lost most

But We saved him and (his nephew) Lut (Lot, and took them) to the land that We have blessed for the nations

And We gave to him Issaq (Isaac) and as an additional gift, (a grandson), Yaqoub (Jacob), and We made righteous men of every one (of them)

And We made them leaders, leading (men) according to Our Command, and We sent them revelation to do good acts, to establish regular prayers, and to give out regular charity; And they constantly worshiped Us

And (remember) to Lut (Lot), also, We gave judgment and knowledge, and We saved him from the town that did terrible things: Truly, they were a people given to evil, a defying people

And We admitted him into Our Mercy: Truly, he was one of the righteous

And (remember) Nuh (Noah), when he cried (to Us) before: We listened to his (prayer) and saved him and his family from great difficulties

We helped him against people who rejected Our Signs: Truly, they were a people given to evil: So We drowned them all (in the Flood)

And (remember) Dawood (David) and Sulaiman (Solomon), when they judged in the matter of the field into which the sheep of certain people had accidentally entered by night: We did witness their judgment

And We made Sulaiman (Solomon) understand of the (complex) matters: And to each (of them) We gave judgment and knowledge; It was Our Power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises with Dawood (David): And it was We Who did (all these things)

And We Who taught him how to make (metallic) coats with (overlapping) rings for your use, to protect you from each other’s attack: Then will you be grateful

And (it was Our Power that made) the stormy wind flow (gently) for Sulaiman (Solomon) to his order, to the land (with rain) that We had blessed because We know all things

And from the Satans, there were some who (instantly) obeyed him (Solomon, see verse 27.39) and did other work in addition; And it was We Who guarded them

And (remember) Ayub (Job), when he cried to his Lord, "Truly, (major) distress has caught me, but You are the Most Merciful of those that are merciful

So We listened to him, We removed the suffering that was on him, and We gave back his people to him, and doubled their number— As a Grace from Ourselves, and as a lesson to remember, for all who worship Us

And (remember) Ismail (Ishmael), Idris, and Zul-kifl, all (men) of constancy and patience

And We admitted them in Our Mercy: Verily, they were from the Righteous ones

And (remember) Zun-nun (Jonah or Yunus, see 7.139), when he left in anger: And he imagined that We had no power to punish him! But he cried through the depths of darkness (after being swallowed by a fish), by saying: "There is no god except You: Glory to You (Pure and Pristine): Truly, I was one of the wrongdoers

So We listened to him: And delivered him from (his) difficulty: And like this We save and rescue those who have faith

And (remember) Zakariyya (Zachariah), when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! Do not leave me without children, even though You are the best of inheritors

So We listened to him: And We granted him Yahya (Baptist John): We cured his wife's (inability to bear children) for him. Verily, these (three) were quick to learn the good works: And they used to remember Us with love and respect, and to humble themselves before Us

And (remember) her, Maryam (Mary) who safeguarded her chastity: We breathed into her from Our Spirit, and We made her and her son [baby Isa (Jesus)] a Sign for all nations (and peoples)

Surely, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood (of prophets) and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore worship Me (and no other)

But (later people) differed in their religion, one from another: (Yet) they will all return to Us

So whoever does any deed of righteousness and has Faith— Verily, his effort will not be rejected: We shall record it (in the book of deeds) for him

And there is a limitation on any population that We have destroyed: (And that is) that they shall not return

Until the time, Yajuj and Majuj (i.e., Gog and Magog) are allowed through (their barrier) and they quickly approach and attack from every hill

And the true Promise will draw near (to coming true): Then look! The eyes of the disbelievers will (only) constantly look on with fear: "Oh! Misery to us! Truly, we were careless of this; No, truly we did wrong

Surely, you (disbelievers), and the gods whom you worship besides Allah, are fuel for Hell! To it (Hell) you will come

If these had been gods, they would not enter there! But each one (of you) will live in there

There crying (bitterly) will be their fate, nor will they hear (anything else) there

Verily, about those for whom the good (record) has gone before from Us, (they) will be moved far from there (Hell)

They will not hear the slightest sound of it (Hell): What their souls wanted, in it they will live

The Great Fear will bring them no sorrow: And the angels will meet them (with the greetings) "This is your Day— That you were promised

And (remember) the Day when We will roll up the heavens like a (written up) paper rolled up for Books— Even as We made the first Creation, like that We will make a new one: A promise We have taken up: Truly, shall We fulfill it

And indeed, before this (Quran), We wrote in Zabur (Psalms, revealed to David or Dawood), following the Sacred Message (given to Musa): "My righteous servants shall inherit the earth

Surely, in this (Quran) is a Message for the people who truly worship Allah

And We did not send you (O Prophet), except as mercy to all worlds (and the creatures)

Say: "What has come to me by Revelation is that your God is One (Allah) : Will you therefore bow to Him (in Islam)

But if they turn back, say (to them): "I have proclaimed the Message to you all alike and in truth; And I do not know whether what you are promised is near or far

Verily, it is He Who knows what is open in speech and what you hide

And I do not know except that it may be a trial for you, and a gift of (your) livelihood for a time

He (the Prophet) said: "O my Lord! Judge You in truth! Our Lord, the Most Gracious (Ar-Rahman) is the One Whose help should be found against the lies that you say