English - Chapter 37 - As-Saffat

By those ranged in ranks

and the drivers driving

and the reciters of a reminder

truly your God is One

Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, and Lord of the easts

Truly We adorned the lowest heaven with an ornament, the stars

and a guard against every defiant satan

They listen not to the Highest Assembly, for they are repelled from every side—

cast out, and theirs shall be a punishment everlasting—

save one who snatches a fragment as a piercing flame pursues him

So ask them, are they more difficult to create, or those whom We created? Truly We created them from a viscous clay

Indeed, but thou dost marvel, while they scoff

And when they are reminded, they do not remember

and say, “This is naught but manifest sorcery

What! When we have died and are dust and bones are we to be resurrected

and our fathers of old?”

Say, “Yes, and debased will you be.”

Then there will be but a single cry. And they will then behold

They will say, “Oh, woe unto us! This is the Day of Judgment.”

This is the Day of Division that you used to deny

Gather those who did wrong together with their spouses and that which they used to worship

apart from God, and guide them unto the path of Hellfire

And stop them. Surely they are to be questioned

“What ails you that you do not help one another?”

Nay, but this Day they will surrender

And they will turn to one another, questioning each other

saying, “Truly you used to come to us from the right.”

They reply, “Nay, but you were not believers

And we had no authority over you. Rather, you were a rebellious people

So the Word of our Lord has come due for us; truly we shall taste [it]

We caused you to err for truly we were errant.”

Verily that Day they will share in the punishment

Thus do We deal with the guilty

Indeed, when it was said unto them, “There is no god but God,” they waxed arrogant

saying, “Are we to forsake our gods for a poet possessed?”

Nay! He has come with the truth and confirmed the messengers

Truly you shall taste the painful punishment

And you shall not be requited, save for that which you used to do

Not so for God’s sincere servants

For them there shall be a known provision

fruits. And they will be honored

in Gardens of bliss

upon couches, facing one another

with a cup from a gushing spring brought round

white, delicious to those who drink thereof

No headiness lies therein; nor are they intoxicated by it

And theirs shall be maidens of modest gaze with lustrous eyes

as if they were hidden eggs

And they will turn to one another, questioning each other

One among them will say, “I had a companion

who would say, ‘Are you among those who confirm

What! When we have died and are dust and bones, are we to be requited?’”

He will say, “Will you look?”

So he will look and see him in the midst of Hellfire

He will say, “By God! You did well-nigh destroy me

and if not for the blessing of my Lord, I would have been among the arraigned

Are we then not to die

but our first death, and are we not to be punished

This indeed is the great triumph!”

For the like of this, then, let the laborers labor

Is this a better welcome or the tree of Zaqqum

Truly We have made it a trial for the wrongdoers

Truly it is a tree that emerges in the depths of Hellfire

Its spathes are as the heads of satans

They will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith

Then on top of it they will have a brew of a boiling liquid

Then their return shall be unto Hellfire

Truly they found their fathers astray

yet they hasten in their footsteps

And before them most of those of old had indeed gone astray

though We had indeed sent warners among them

So behold how those who were warned fared in the end

Not so for God’s sincere servants

And indeed Noah cried out to Us. How excellent are those who respond

We saved him and his people from great distress

and We made his progeny endure

and We left [a blessing] upon him among later generations

“Peace be upon Noah throughout the worlds.”

Thus do We recompense the virtuous

Truly he was among Our believing servants

Then We drowned the others

And surely among his party was Abraham

when he came unto his Lord with a sound heart

when he said unto his father and his people, “What do you worship

Is it a perversion, gods apart from God, that you desire

What, then, think you of the Lord of the worlds?”

Then he cast a glance at the stars

and said, “Truly I am sick.”

But they turned their backs on him

Then he went quietly to their gods and said, “Will you not eat

What ails you that you speak not?”

Then he turned upon them, striking with his right hand

Then they came to him rushing

He said, “Do you worship that which you carve

while God created you and that which you make?”

They said, “Erect a building for him and cast him into the fire.”

They desired to scheme against him, so We made them the lowest

And he said, “Truly I am going unto my Lord. He will guide me

My Lord, give unto me from among the righteous.”

So We gave him glad tidings of a gentle son

When he had become old enough to partake of his father’s endeavors, Abraham said, “O my son! I see while dreaming that I am to sacrifice you. So consider, what do you see?” He replied, “O my father! Do as you are commanded. You will find me, God willing, among those who are patient.”

But when they had submitted and Abraham had laid him upon his forehead

We called unto him, “O Abraham

Thou hast been true to the vision.” Thus indeed do We recompense the virtuous

Truly this was the manifest trial

Then We ransomed him with a great sacrifice

And We left [a blessing] upon him among later generations

“Peace be upon Abraham.”

Thus do We recompense the virtuous

Truly he was among Our believing servants

And We gave him glad tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous

And We blessed him and Isaac. And among their progeny are the virtuous and those who clearly wrong themselves

And We were gracious unto Moses and Aaron

We saved them and their people from great distress

and helped them, so that they were the victors

And We gave the two of them the Book that makes clear

and guided the two of them upon the straight path

And We left [a blessing] upon them among later generations

“Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.”

Thus indeed do We recompense the virtuous

Truly they were among Our believing servants

And truly Elias was among the message bearers

when he said to his people, “Will you not reverence

Do you call upon Baal and leave the most beautiful of creators

God is your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of old.”

But they denied him; so they are surely to be arraigned

Not so for God’s sincere servants

And We left [a blessing] upon him among later generations

“Peace be upon Elias.”

Thus indeed do We recompense the virtuous

Truly he was among Our believing servants

And truly Lot was among the message bearers

Behold! We saved him and his family all together

save for an old woman who was among those who lagged behind

Then We destroyed the others

And truly you pass by them in the morning

and at night. Do you not understand

And truly Jonah was among the message bearers

Behold! He fled to the full-laden ship

and then cast lots and was among those rejected

Then the fish swallowed him, for he was blameworthy

And had he not been among those who glorify

he would have tarried in its belly till the Day they are resurrected

So We cast him, sick, upon the barren shore

And We caused a gourd tree to grow over him

Then We sent him unto a hundred thousand or more

And they believed; so We granted them enjoyment for a while

So ask them, does your Lord have daughters while they have sons

Or did We create the angels female, while they were witnesses

Behold! It is of their own perversion that they say

“God has begotten,” while truly they are liars

Has He chosen daughters over sons

What ails you? How do you judge

Do you not reflect

Or have you a manifest authority

Bring your Book, then, if you are truthful

They have made kinship between Him and the jinn—yet the jinn know that they will surely be arraigned

Glory be to God above that which they ascribe

Not so for God’s sincere servants

For truly neither you nor that which you worship

can tempt any against Him

save he who is to burn in Hellfire

There is none among us, but that he has a known station

And truly we are those who are ranged [in ranks]

Truly we are those who glorify

Indeed, they used to say

“If only we had a reminder from those of old

then we would indeed be God’s sincere servants.”

But they disbelieved in it. So soon they will know

for indeed Our Word has already gone forth unto Our message bearers

that they will surely be helped

and that Our host will surely be victorious

So turn away from them for a time

and observe them; for they will soon observe

Do they seek to hasten Our Punishment

When it alights in their very midst, evil will be the morning of those who were warned

So turn away from them for a time

and observe; for they will soon observe

Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of Might, above that which they ascribe

Peace be upon the message bearers

And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds