— 182 verses
By those who range themselves in rows
by those who reprove severely
and those who recite the Exhortation
surely your God is One
the Lord of the heavens and the earth and of whatever lies between the two, the Lord of the Easts
We have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the star
and have protected it from every rebellious satan
These satans cannot listen to what transpires in the High Council for they are pelted away from every sid
and are repelled. Theirs is an unceasing chastisement
And if any is able to snatch a fragment, he is pursued by a piercing flame
So ask them (that is, human beings): "Were they harder to create than the objects We created?" We created them from sticky clay
You marvel (at the wondrous creations of Allah) and they scoff at it
and when they are admonished, they pay no heed
and if they see any Sign, they laugh it awa
and say: "This is nothing but plain sorcery
Is it ever possible that after we die and are reduced to dust and (a skeleton of) bones, we will be raised to life
And so also shall our forefathers of yore be raised to life?"
Tell them: "Yes; and you are utterly helpless (against Allah)."
There will be a single stern rebuff and lo, they will be observing with their own eyes (all that they had been warned against)
They will then say: "Woe for us. This is the Day of Judgement."
"Yes, this is the Day of Final Decision that you used to deny as a lie."
(Then will the command be given): "Muster all the wrong-doers and their spouses and the deities whom they used to serv
apart from Allah, and direct them to the path of Hell
and detain them there; they will be called to account
How is it that you are not helping one another
Indeed, today they are surrendering themselves completely."
They will then turn towards each other (and start wrangling)
(The followers will say to their leaders): "You used to come to us from the right hand."
They will say: "Nay, you yourselves were not the ones who would believe
We had no power over you. You were a rebellious people
and so we became deserving of the Word of our Lord that we shall be made to suffer chastisement
So we led you astray; we ourselves were strayed."
On that Day, they will all share the chastisement
Thus do We treat the culprits
Whenever it was said to them: "There is no true deity apart from Allah," they waxed proud
and said: "Shall we forsake our deities for the sake of a distracted poet?"
(They say so although) he brought the Truth and confirmed the veracity of the Messengers
(They will be told): "You shall taste the grievous chastisement
You will only be recompensed according to your deeds."
But Allah´s chosen servants (shall be spared this woeful end)
For them awaits a known provision
a variety of delicious fruits; and they shall be honoure
in the Gardens of Bliss
They will be seated upon couches set face to face
a cup filled with wine from its springs, will be passed around to them
white, sparkling (wine), a delight to the drinkers
There will neither be any harm in it for their body nor will it intoxicate their mind
Theirs shall be wide-eyed maidens with bashful, restrained glances
so delicate as the hidden peel under an egg´s shell
Then some of them will turn to others, and will ask each other
One of them will say: "I had a companion in the world
who used to say: ?Are you also one of those who confirm the Truth (of life after death)
After we are dead and have become all dust and bones shall we still be requited?´
He will say: ?Do you wish to know where he is now?´
Then he will look downwards, and will see him in the depths of Hell
He will say to him: ?By Allah, you almost ruined me
But for Allah´s favour, I should be one of those who have been mustered here
So, are we not going to die
except for our first death? And shall we suffer no chastisement?´"
Surely this is the supreme triumph
For the like of it should the workers work
Is this a better hospitality or the tree of al-Zaqqum
We have made this tree a trial for the wrong-doers
It is a tree that grows in the nethermost part of Hell
Its spathes are like the heads of satans
(The people of Hell) will surely eat of it, filling their bellies with it
Then on top of it they will have a brew of boiling water
Then their return will be to the same blazing Hell
These are the ones who found their fathers steeped in error
and they are running in their footsteps
Before them a multitude of people of olden times had erred
and We had sent among them Messengers to warn them
Observe, then, what was the end of those that had been warned
except for the chosen servants of Allah
Noah had called upon Us (earlier). See, how excellent We were in answering him
We delivered him and his household from the great calamity
and made his offspring the only ones to survive
and We established for him a good name among posterity
Peace be upon Noah among all the nations
Thus do We reward all those who do good
Surely he was one of Our truly believing servants
Thereafter We caused the others to be drowned
Abraham was on the self-same way (as Noah)
When he came to his Lord with a pure heart
and said to his father and his people: "Whom do you worship
Is it false deities that you want to serve rather than Allah
What do you think of the Lord of the whole Universe?"
Then he looked carefully at the star
and said: "I am sick."
So turning their backs, they went away from him
Then he went quietly to the (temple of the deities) and said: "What is the matter with you, why do you not eat
What is the matter with you, why do you not speak?"
Then he turned upon them, striking them with his right hand
whereupon people came to him running
Abraham said to them: "Do you worship what you yourselves have carved with your own hand
while it is Allah Who has created you and all that you make?"
They spoke among themselves: "Build him a pyre and then throw him into the furnace."
They had contrived an evil plan against him, but We abased them all
Abraham said: "I am going to my Lord; He will guide me
Lord, grant me a righteous son."
(In response to this prayer) We gave him the good news of a prudent boy
and when he was old enough to go about and work with him, (one day) Abraham said to him: "My son, I see in my dream that I am slaughtering you. So consider (and tell me) what you think." He said: "Do as you are bidden. You will find me, if Allah so wills, among the steadfast."
When both surrendered (to Allah´s command) and Abraham flung the son down on his forehead
We cried out: "O Abraham
you have indeed fulfilled your dream. Thus do We reward the good-doers."
This was indeed a plain trial
And We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice
and We preserved for him a good name among posterity
Peace be upon Abraham
Thus do We reward the good-doers
Surely he was one of Our believing servants
And We gave him the good news of Isaac, a Prophet and among the righteous ones
And We blessed him and Isaac. Among the offspring of the two some did good and some plainly wronged themselves
Verily We bestowed Our favours on Moses and Aaron
and We delivered both of them and their people from the great calamity
We succoured them, and they gained the upper hand (against their enemies)
We granted them a Clear Book
and showed them the Straight Way
and preserved for them a good name among posterity
Peace be upon Moses and Aaron
Thus do We reward the good-doers
Surely both of them were among Our believing servants
Surely, Elias too was among the Messengers
(Call to mind) when he said to his people: "Will you not fear Allah
Do you call upon Baal and forsake the Best of the Creators
Allah is your Lord and the Lord of your ancestors of yore."
But they denounced him as a liar, so they will surely be arraigned (for punishment)
except Allah´s chosen servants
We preserved a good name for him among posterity
Peace be upon Elias
Thus do We reward the good-doers
He was one of Our believing servants
And Lot too was one of the Messengers
(Call to mind) when We delivered him and all his kinsfolk
except for an old woman who was among those that stayed behind
Then We utterly destroyed the rest of them
You pass by their desolate habitations in the morning
and at night. Do you still not understand
And Jonah too was one of the Messengers
Call to mind when he fled to the laden ship
cast lots, and was among the losers
Then a fish swallowed him, and he was blameworthy
Had he not been one of those who glorify Allah
he would certainly have remained in its belly till the Day of Resurrection
But We threw him on a wide bare tract of land while he was ill
and caused a gourd tree to grow over him
and We sent him forth to a nation of a hundred thousand or more
and they believed. So We let them enjoy life for a while
So ask their opinion: "(Are you convinced) that your Lord should have daughters and you should have sons
Did We create the angels as females the while they witnessed?"
Behold, it is one of their fabrications that they say
"Allah has begotten." They are liars
Did He choose daughters rather than sons
What is the matter with you that you make such strange judgements
Will you then not take heed
Do you have any clear authority for such claims
Bring your Book, if you are truthful
They have established a kinship between Allah and the angels; and the angels know well that these people will be arraigned (as culprits)
(They say): "Exalted be Allah above what they attribute to Him
all of them except the chosen servants of Allah
So you and your deities
shall not be able to tempt anyone away from Allah
except him who shall roast in the Blazing Fire
As for us, there is none but has an appointed station
Verily we range ourselves in rows (as humble servants
and we are of those who glorify Allah."
They used to say before
"If only we had the Reminder which had been granted to the people of yor
we would surely have been Allah´s chosen servants."
But when it came to them, they rejected it. They shall soon come to know (the end of such an attitude)
We have already given Our promise to Our Messenger
that they shall certainly be succoured
and that Our hosts shall triumph
So, (O Prophet), leave them alone for a while
and see, and soon they too shall see
Do they seek to hasten Our chastisement
When that chastisement will descend upon their courtyard, evil shall that Day be for those who had been warned
Leave them alone for a while
and see; and they too shall soon see
Exalted be your Lord, the Lord of Glory, above what they attribute to Him
and peace be upon the Messengers
and all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe