English - Chapter 21 - Al-Anbiya

For mankind, their reckoning draws nigh, while they turn away heedless

No new Reminder came unto them from their Lord, but that they listened to it while they played

with their hearts diverted. And those who do wrong confide in secret converse, “Is this not but a human being like yourselves? Will you then yield to sorcery, while you see clearly?”

He said, “My Lord knows that which is spoken in Heaven and on earth, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”

Yet they said, “Confused dreams! Nay, he has fabricated it! Nay, he is a poet! Let him bring us a sign like those of old were sent!”

No town that We destroyed before them believed; will these, then, believe

And We sent no messenger before thee, but that they were men unto whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder, if you know not

We did not make them bodies that ate not food; nor were they immortal

Then We fulfilled the promise unto them, and saved them and whomsoever We willed, and We destroyed the prodigal

We have indeed sent down unto you a Book wherein is your Reminder. Do you not understand

How many a town engaged in wrongdoing have We shattered, and then brought into being another people after them

And when they felt Our Might, behold, they ran away from it

“Do not run away! But return to the luxury you have been given and to your dwellings, that haply you may be questioned.”

They said, “Oh, woe unto us! Truly we have been wrongdoers.”

And that did not cease to be their cry, till We made them a mown field, stilled

And We did not create Heaven and earth and whatsoever is between them in play

Had We desired to take up a diversion, We would surely have taken it from that which was with Us, were We to do so

Nay, but We cast truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, and, behold, it vanishes. And woe unto you for that which you describe

Unto Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth. Those who are with Him are not too arrogant to worship Him; nor do they weary

They glorify night and day, without tiring

Or have they taken gods from the earth who resurrect

Were there gods other than God in them, they would surely have been corrupted. So glory be to God, Lord of the Throne, above that which they ascribe

He shall not be questioned about what He does, but they shall be questioned

Or have they taken gods apart from Him? Say, “Bring me your proof! This is the Reminder for those who are with me, and the Reminder for those before me. Nay, but most of them do not know the truth; so they turn away.”

And We sent no messenger before thee, save that We revealed unto him, “Verily, there is no god but I; so worship Me!”

And they say, “The Compassionate has taken a child.” Glory be to Him! Nay, but they are honored servants

They precede Him not in speech, and they act according to His Command

He knows that which is before them and that which is behind them, and they intercede not, save for one with whom He is content. They are wary, for fear of Him

And whosoever among them would say, “Truly I am a god apart from Him,” such will We requite with Hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers

Have those who disbelieve not considered that the heavens and the earth were sewn together and We rent them asunder? And We made every living thing from water. Will they not, then, believe

And We placed firm mountains in the earth, lest it shake beneath them, and We made wide tracts between them as paths, that haply they may be guided

And We made the sky a canopy preserved; yet they turn away from its signs

He it is Who created the night and the day, the sun and the moon, each gliding in an orbit

We have not ordained perpetual life for any human being before thee. So if thou diest, will they abide forever

Every soul shall taste death. We try you with evil and with good, as a test, and unto Us shall you be returned

And whenever those who disbelieve see thee, they take thee in naught but mockery, “Is this the one who makes mention of your gods?” And it is they who are disbelievers in the remembrance of the Compassionate

Man was created of haste. Soon shall I show you My signs; so seek not to hasten Me

And they say, “When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful?”

If those who disbelieved but knew of the time when they shall not be able to hold back the Fire from their faces or from their backs, nor be helped

Nay, but it will come upon them suddenly, and confound them. Then they will not be able to repel it, nor will they be granted respite

Messengers were certainly mocked before thee. Then those who scoffed at them were beset by that which they used to mock

Say, “Who will protect you, night and day, from the Compassionate?” Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord

Or do they have gods to defend them apart from Us? They cannot help themselves; nor are they given protection against Us

Nay, but We granted enjoyment to them and their fathers till life grew long for them. Do they not consider how We come upon the land, reducing it of its outlying regions? Is it they who shall prevail

Say, “I only warn you through a revelation.” But the deaf do not hear the call however much they are warned

And if but a breath of thy Lord’s Punishment were to touch them, they would surely say, “Oh, woe unto us. Truly we were wrongdoers.”

We shall set the just scales for the Day of Resurrection, and no soul shall be wronged in aught. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed, We shall bring it. And We suffice as Reckoner

We indeed gave unto Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and a radiant light and a reminder for the reverent

who fear their Lord unseen, and who are wary of the Hour

This is a blessed Reminder that We have sent down. Will you then deny it

And We indeed gave unto Abraham his sound judgment aforetime, and We knew him

when he said unto his father and his people, “What are these images to which you are cleaving?”

They said, “We found our fathers worshipping them.”

He said, “Certainly you and your fathers have been in manifest error.”

They said, “Have you brought us the truth, or are you among those who jest?”

He said, “Nay, but your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who originated them. And I am among those who bear witness unto this

And by God, I shall scheme against your idols after you have turned your backs.”

So he broke them into pieces—save the largest of them—that haply they may have recourse to it

They said, “Who has done this to our gods? Verily he is among the wrongdoers!”

They said, “We heard a young man mention them; he is called Abraham.” a They said, “So bring him before the eyes of the people, that haply they may bear witness.”

They said, “Was it you who did this to our gods

Abraham?”

He said, “Nay, but it was the largest of them that did this. So question them, if they speak!”

So they consulted among themselves and said, “Verily it is you who are the wrongdoers!”

Then they reverted, “Certainly you know that these speak not!”

He said, “Do you worship, apart from God, that which benefits you not in the least, nor harms you

Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship apart from God. Do you not understand?”

They said, “Burn him, and help your gods, if you would take action!”

We said, “O Fire! Be coolness and peace for Abraham.”

They desired to scheme against him, but We made them the greatest losers

And We delivered him and Lot to the land that We blessed for all peoples

And We bestowed upon him Isaac, and Jacob as an added gift. And each of them We made righteous

And We made them imams, guiding according to Our Command. And We revealed unto them the doing of good deeds, the performance of prayer, and the giving of alms. And they were worshippers of Us

And as for Lot, We gave unto him judgment and knowledge, and We saved him from the town that was committing vile deeds. Truly they were an evil people, iniquitous

And We caused him to enter Our Mercy; verily, he was among the righteous

And [remember] Noah, when he cried out aforetime, We answered him and saved him and his family from great distress

And We helped him against those people who denied Our signs. Truly they were an evil people; so We drowned them all together

And [remember] David and Solomon, when they rendered judgment regarding the tillage, when the people’s sheep strayed therein by night. And We were Witness to their judgment

We made Solomon to understand it, and unto both We gave judgment and knowledge. We compelled the mountains and the birds to glorify along with David; We did this

And We taught him how to make garments for you to protect you against your own might, but are you thankful

And unto Solomon, the wind blowing violently: it ran by his command to the land that We had blessed. And We know all things

Among the satans are those who dove deep for him, and performed other deeds besides this. And We guarded them

And [remember] Job, when he cried unto his Lord, “Truly affliction has befallen me! And Thou art the most Merciful of the merciful.”

So We answered him and removed the affliction that was upon him, and We gave him his family, and the like thereof along with them, as a mercy from Us and a reminder to the worshippers

And [remember] Ishmael, Idris, and Dhu’l-Kifl—each was among the patient

We caused them to enter Our Mercy; truly they are among the righteous

And [remember] Dhu’l-Nun, when he went away in anger, and thought We had no power over him. Then he cried out in the darkness, “There is no god but Thee! Glory be to Thee! Truly I have been among the wrongdoers.”

So We answered him, and saved him from grief. Thus do We save the believers

And [remember] Zachariah, when he cried out to his Lord, “My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the best of inheritors.”

So We answered him, and bestowed John upon him, and We set his wife aright for him. Truly they vied in good deeds. They called upon Us with desire and with fear, and they were humble before Us

And as for she who preserved her chastity, We breathed into her of Our Spirit, and made her and her son a sign for the worlds

Truly this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord. So worship Me

But they have fragmented their affair among themselves. Each is returning unto Us

And whosoever performs righteous deeds and is a believer, there shall be no ingratitude for his endeavor, and surely We shall write [it] down for him

And it is forbidden unto any town We have destroyed that they should ever return

till the time when Gog and Magog are unleashed, and they rush down from every hill

and the true promise draws nigh. And, behold, there shall be the fixed stare of those who disbelieved, “Oh, woe unto us! We have certainly been heedless of this! Indeed, we have been wrongdoers.”

Surely you and that which you worship apart from God shall be fuel for Hell. Unto it you shall come

Had these been gods, they would not have come unto it. But each shall abide therein

Theirs shall be groaning therein, and therein they shall hear not

They hear not the slightest sound thereof, while they abide in that which their souls desire

The greatest terror will not grieve them, and the angels will receive them. “This is your Day, which you were promised.”

That Day We shall roll up the sky like the rolling of scrolls for writings. As We began the first creation, so shall We bring it back—a promise binding upon Us. Surely We shall do it

And We have indeed written in the Psalms, after the Reminder, that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth

Truly in this is a proclamation for a worshipful people

And We sent thee not, save as a mercy unto the worlds

Say, “It is only revealed unto me that your God is one God. So will you be submitters?”

But if they turn away, say, “I have proclaimed to you all equally. I know not whether that which you are promised is nigh or far off

Verily He knows that which is spoken openly and He knows that which you conceal

And I know not; perhaps it is a trial for you, and an enjoyment for a while.”

He said, “My Lord, judge with truth! Our Lord is the Compassionate, the One Whose help is sought against that which you ascribe.”