English - Chapter 21 - Al-Anbiya

Men turn aside through indifference even though their reckoning approaches

No fresh reminder ever comes to them from their Lord except they listen to it as they play away

their hearts distracted. Those who do wrong consult together privately; "Isn´t this [man] just a human being like yourselves? Will you succumb to magic while you can see it happening

SAY: "My Lord knows whatever is spoken in Heaven and Earth; He is Alert, Aware

Rather", they say, "it´s a jumble of dreams! In fact, he has made it all up! Indeed, he´s a poet. Let him bring us a sign such as the first men were sent with

No town that ever believed before have We wiped out. Will they believe

Before you We have sent only men whom We inspired. Ask people with [long] memories if you do not know it already

We did not grant them bodies which did not eat food, nor were they immortal

Then We confirmed the Promise for them, and saved them as well as anyone We wished to, and wiped out those who were dissipated

We have sent down a Book to you which contains your Reminder. Will you not use your reason

How many a town which had been doing wrong did We demolish, and raise up other folk in its stead

When they felt Our might [approaching], they rushed headlong away from it

Do not rush away; return to what you were luxuriating in and your dwellings, so that you may be questioned

They say: "Alas for us! We have been doing wrong

Such an appeal as theirs will never cease until We leave them withered away like a crop in need of harvesting

We did not create Heaven and Earth and whatever lies in between them while just playing around

If We had wanted to adopt it as a pastime, We would have adopted it within Our very presence, had We ever done so

Rather We hurl Truth against falsehood, so it knocks it down. Then it disappears. You are the ones [who need] to worry because of what you are describing

He owns whoever is in Heaven and Earth. Anyone who is with Him is never too proud to do Him service, nor are they even wearied

they celebrate [Him] night and day; they never pause

Or have they taken gods from earth who will raise the dead

If there were other gods in either [Heaven or Earth] besides God [Alone], they would both dissolve in chaos. Glory be to God, Lord of the Throne, beyond what they describe

He will not be questioned about what He does, while they shall be so questioned

Yet do they still adopt other gods instead of Him? SAY: "Bring on your proof! This is a Reminder for anyone who is with me, as well as a Reminder for whoever came before me." Instead, most of them do not recognize the Truth, so they avoid it

We did not send any messenger before you unless We inspired him with the fact there is no deity except Me, so serve Me

They say: "The Mercy-giving has adopted a son." Glory be to Him! Rather they are honored servants

they do not try to speak ahead of Him, while they act at His command

He knows what lies in front of them and what is behind them; while they do not intercede except for someone who has been approved. They are apprehensive and hence in awe of Him

Have not those who disbelieve seen how Heaven and Earth were once one solid mass which We ripped apart? We have made every living thing out of water. Will they still not believe

We have placed headlands on earth lest it should sway while they are on it, and have placed mountain passes on it as highways so they may be guided

We have placed the sky as a roof which is held up even though they shun its signs

He is the One Who has created night and daylight, and the sun and the moon; each floats along in an orbit

We have not granted immortality to any human being before you; so if you should die, will they become immortal

Every soul shall taste death. We will test you (all) with something bad and something good as a trial; then to Us will you be returned

Whenever those who disbelieve see you, they never accept you unless it is to ridicule you: "Is this the person who mentions your gods?", while they disown any mention of the Mercy-giving

Man has been created from impatience. I will show you My signs so do not try to hurry Me up

They say: "When will this promise be, if you are (all) so truthful

If those who disbelieve only knew about the time when they will not fend the Fire off from their faces nor from their backs, nor will they be supported

Rather it will come upon them suddenly and dumbfound them; they will not manage to cast it off nor will they be allowed to wait

Messengers have been ridiculed before you, till whatever they were sneering at swept in around those who had been ridiculing them

SAY: "Who shields you night and day from the Mercy-giving?." Indeed they are evasive about mentioning their Lord

Or do they have gods who can defend them from Us? They can neither assist themselves nor yet are they accompanied by Us

Rather We have let such persons and their forefathers enjoy themselves until life seems to last too long for them. Do they not see how We come to the earth to clip it off along its borders? Will they turn out to be the winners

SAY: "I am warning you only through inspiration." The deaf will not hear the Appeal even when they are warned [directly]

if a breath from your Lord´s torment should ever touch them, they would say: "It´s too bad for us! We have been doing wrong

We shall set up scales for justice on Resurrection Day, and no soul will be dealt with unjustly in any way. Even if the weight of a mustard seed should exist, We would bring it along; sufficient are We as Reckoners

We brought Moses and Aaron the Standard and radiance, plus a Reminder for the heedful

[all those] who dread their Lord even though [He is] Unseen. They are (also) anxious about the Hour

This is a blessed Reminder We have sent down; so why are you (all) so distrustful concerning it

We gave Abraham his integrity long ago, and We were (fully) Conscious of him

when he told his father and his folk: "What are these images which you are so devoted to

They said: "We found our forefathers serving them

He said: "You and your forefathers have been in such obvious error

They said: "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you just a trifler

He said: "Rather your Lord is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and the One Who originated them, while I am another witness for that

By God, I am planning to confound your idols once you have turned your backs

So he broke them into fragments except for the biggest one of them, so that they might return to [question] it

They said: "Who did this to our gods? He must be some wrongdoer

They said: "We heard a young man mentioning them; he is called Abraham

They said: "Bring him before the people´s eyes so they may witness it

They said: "Is it you who has done this to our gods, Abraham

He said: "Rather this biggest one of them did it. Ask them, if they are able to speak up

They turned to one another and said: "You yourselves are the wrongdoers

Then they hung their heads: "You knew those things do not utter [a word]

He said: "So do you worship something instead of God that neither benefits you in any way nor does it harm you

Shame on you and on whatever you worship instead of God [Alone]! Don´t you use your reason

They said: "Burn him up and support your gods if you must be doing something

We said: "Fire, be cool, and safe for Abraham

They wanted to outwit him, so We made them lose the most

We rescued him and Lot, [bringing them] to a land which We had blessed for [everyone in] the Universe

We bestowed Isaac and (then) Jacob on him as an additional boon; each We made into honorable men

We made them leaders who guided (others) by Our command and We inspired them to perform good deeds, keep up prayer, and pay the welfare tax. They have been serving Us

And Lot We gave discretion and knowledge, and saved him from the town which had been performing wicked deeds. They had been such evil folk, perverts

We admitted him into Our mercy; he was such an honorable man

When Noah had cried out previously, We responded to him, and saved him and his family from serious distress

We delivered him from a folk who had rejected Our signs. They had been such evil folk that We drowned them all

And when David and Solomon both passed judgment on the field where some people´s sheep had strayed to pasture there at night, We acted as Witnesses for their decision

We made Solomon understand it. Each We gave discretion and knowledge, and We let David develop the mountains and the birds which celebrate [Us]. We were Active [in this]

We taught him how to manufacture coats [of mail] for you, to protect you from your own violence. Yet are you ever grateful

Solomon had wind as a storm which blew at his command over the earth which We had blessed. We were Conscious of everything

Some devils there were who dived for him and performed other work besides that. We acted as Guardians over them

And Job, when he cried out to his Lord: "Adversity has afflicted me while You are the most Merciful of the Mercy-granting

We responded to him and removed any adversity he was facing, and We gave him his household and the same as them besides, as a Mercy from Our presence and a Reminder for worshippers

And Ishmael, Idris and [Ezekiel] with the Commission-were all patient

We admitted them to Our mercy; they were honorable

And the Man in the Whale when he stormed off angrily, and thought We would never have any power over him; yet he cried out in the darkness: "There is no deity except You! Glory be to You! I have been a wrongdoer

We responded to him and saved him from grief. Thus We save believers

And Zachariah when he cried out to his Lord: "My Lord, do not leave me childless, even though You are the Best of heirs

We responded to him and bestowed John on him, and restored his wife [to childbearing] for him. They had always competed in doing good deeds and appealed to Us eagerly yet reverently. They were so humble towards Us

And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed some of Our spirit into her, and set both her and her son up as a sign for [everyone in] the Universe

This community of yours [forms] one nation, while I am your Lord, so worship Me

They have carved up their own affair among themselves; yet everyone will be returning to Us

Anyone who performs some honorable deeds while he is a believer will never have his effort spurned. We will be Writing it down for him

Yet a ban has been placed on any town We have wiped out; they shall not return

until when things are opened up for Gog and Magog and they come swarming down from every hillside

and the true Promise is approaching: then behold it will be staring into the eyes of those who have disbelieved: ´Alas for us! We have been so heedless concerning this. Indeed we were wrongdoers

You and anything you worship instead of God [will serve as] pavement for Hell! You are being led to it

if those had been gods, they would not have been led there; yet everyone will remain in it forever

They will [find people] moaning in it while they will not [be able to] hear in it

Those whose finest deeds have preceded them will be sent far away from it by Us

they will not hear it even as a rustle while they will live forever in what they themselves have been longing for

The greatest dismay will not sadden them while angels will welcome them with: "This is your Day which you have been promised

[It will be] a day when We shall roll up the sky just as a scroll for books is rolled up; just as We began with the first creation, so We shall do it all over again as a promise binding on Us which We have been Acting on

We have written in the Psalms following the Reminder; "My honorable servants shall inherit the earth

In this is a proclamation for folk who are worshipful

We have merely sent you as a mercy for [everybody in] the Universe

SAY: "It has only been revealed to me that your god is God Alone. Are you committed to (live in] peace

If they should turn away, then SAY: "I have announced it to you all alike. If I only knew whether what you are promised is near or far away

He knows anything one says out loud and He (also) knows whatever you conceal

If I only knew whether it may mean a trial for you as well as enjoyment for a while

He said: "My Lord, judge with Truth," and "Our Lord is the Mercygiving Whose help is sought against what you describe