التفسير المحرر

Even if We did send the angels down to them, and the dead spoke to them, and We gathered before them everything, they would still not believe, unless Allah so willed, but most of them are ignorant.

Even if We had answered the request of these polytheists, and they saw the angels with their own eyes and they testified to them of the truthfulness of the Messenger, and We brought the dead back to life for them so they would inform them of his truthfulness, and We gathered all things before them, or gathered them for them in groups to inform them directly of the Messenger's truthfulness, they would not have believed, unless Allah willed it, due to their stubbornness. But most of them are ignorant that even if what they proposed were sent down to them, they would not believe unless Allah Almighty willed it. So it is from their ignorance that they conditioned their faith merely on the coming of signs. In contrast, intellect and knowledge lie in following the truth through the ways that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has clarified.

Similarly did We make for every prophet enemies, devils from among men and jinn, whispering to one another alluring words of delusion. If Allah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them to their fabrications,

And just as We have tested you, O Muhammad, by making for you enemies from the rebellious of mankind and jinn, so likewise We tested the previous prophets, and We made for them enemies from the rebellious of mankind and jinn, for this is Our way. The devils of the jinn whisper to the devils of mankind with embellished, false speech, with which they harm the prophets through dispute and mislead the people. And if Allah Almighty had willed, He would have prevented them from that, but Allah, Glorified is He, has decreed that every prophet should have an enemy from among these. So, leave those who argue with you with falsehood, and leave what they fabricate.

so that the hearts of those who disbelieve in the Hereafter may incline towards it and be pleased with it, and may commit whatever sins they want.

So that the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter may incline to that embellished speech and be pleased with it and commit what they are committing of disbelief and sins.

[Say], “Should I seek a judge other than Allah when He is the One Who has sent down to you the Book explained in detail?” Those whom We gave the Book know that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth, so never be among those who doubt.

Say—O Muhammad—to those polytheists: Shall I stray from the path of truth and take a judge other than Allah Almighty? Indeed, that is not appropriate, for He is the One Who sent down to you the Book, clarifying what you dispute about, explaining the beliefs and the rulings. The Jews and the Christians who were given the Torah and the Gospel know that the Qur’an was sent down from your Lord—O Muhammad—with the truth. So all of it is truth and guidance, and as long as that is its attribute, then do not be in doubt about it.

The Word of your Lord is perfect in truthfulness and justice; none can change His Words[36], and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

The Words of your Lord have been perfected in truth in all reports and in justice in all rulings. No one can change the Words of Allah Almighty, nor bring anything better than them. And He is the All-Hearing of the sayings of His servants and the All-Knowing of their movements and their stillness.

If you obey most of those on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but assumptions and they do nothing but lie.

And if you obey most of the people of the earth, O Muhammad, they will lead you astray from the truth. In their misguidance, they are not certain of their affair, and they lie against Allah Almighty, saying what they do not know.

Your Lord knows best who strays from His way, and He knows best those who are guided.

Indeed, your Lord, O Muhammad, knows better than you and all His creation who strays from the path of truth, so He facilitates that for him, and who walks on the straight path, so He facilitates that for him.

So eat of that [meat] over which the name of Allah is mentioned[37] if you [truly] believe in his verses.

Since it has been established by the previously mentioned verses that Allah Almighty has no partner in His dominion and His rule, then eat from the slaughtered animals upon which the name of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has been mentioned, from the livestock animals and other animals whose consumption is permissible, if you are believers in Allah's proofs and evidences.

Why should you not eat of that over which the name of Allah is mentioned when He has expounded clearly what is forbidden to you, unless you are compelled by necessity[38]? Indeed, many [deviants] lead others astray by their desires, without any knowledge. Your Lord knows best the transgressors.

What prevents you from eating of that upon which Allah's name has been mentioned, when Allah Almighty has already made clear to you what is forbidden to eat, leaving no ambiguity in the matter? However, you are permitted to consume the forbidden if you are compelled by necessity. Indeed, many people lead themselves and their followers astray from the truth by following their whims in falsehood. Surely your Lord, O Muhammad, is the Most Knowledgeable of those who have transgressed His limits, exceeding the lawful for the unlawful, and they cannot escape His punishment.

Avoid committing sin, whether openly or in secret. Indeed, those who commit sin will be recompensed for what they used to do.

Forsake, O people, all sins; do not commit them in secret or in public, nor perpetrate them with your limbs or your hearts. Indeed, those who do what Allah has forbidden them will be punished for it.

Do not eat of that [meat] over which the name of Allah is not mentioned, for this is a grave disobedience. But the devils whisper to their [human] friends to argue with you; if you were to obey them[39], you would surely become polytheists.

And do not eat, O believers, from that which has not been slaughtered in the name of Allah Almighty, for eating that is a departure from the truth and from obedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. And indeed, the devils whisper to the polytheists to argue with you with flimsy arguments to convince you of falsehood, such as disputing the prohibition of eating carrion. And if you obey them in deeming lawful what your Lord has forbidden, then you would surely become polytheists like them.

Is the one who was dead and We gave him life [by faith] and gave him a light with which he walks among people like the one in darkness from which he can never escape[40]? This is how the deeds of the disbelievers have been made appealing to them.

Is the one whose heart We have revived with faith and following the Qur’an—so he sees the truth and falsehood and walks among the people in the light, insightful and guided—equal to the one who is in the darknesses of disbelief, for whom the paths are confused, so he does not know which path to take?! That is how the misdeeds of these disbelievers—who argue in defense of consuming the unlawful—have been made appealing to them; and likewise have the deeds of others who are upon the same disbelief been made appealing.

Thus We have placed in every city the most wicked ones to conspire in it, yet they only conspire against themselves, without even realizing it.

Just as the leaders of the polytheists in Makkah turned people away from the truth, so have We made in every town leaders from among its criminals to plot therein by calling to misguidance and turning people away from the truth. But the evil consequence of their plotting falls only upon themselves, while they are not aware of that, nor of the punishment that Allah Almighty has prepared for them.

When a sign comes to them, they say, “We will never believe until we are given the like of what was given to the messengers of Allah.” Allah knows best where to place His message. Those who are wicked will be afflicted with disgrace from Allah and a severe punishment for their plots.

When conclusive proof from Allah comes to these criminals concerning the truthfulness of the Messenger, they say: "We will not believe until we are given revelation just as the Messengers were given revelation, and we are given miracles like them!" So, Allah Almighty responded to them that He knows best where to place His message and who is fit for it. Those who earn sin through their associating partners with Allah and their worship of other than Him will be afflicted with humiliation and disgrace, and they will have a severe punishment for their plotting.

Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whoever He wills to lead astray, He makes his heart tight and constricted[41], as if he were climbing up into the sky. This is how Allah punishes those who do not believe.

So whoever Allah Almighty wills to guide to the truth, He expands his chest to accept it. And whoever He wills to misguide, He makes his chest tight and constricted to the utmost. Such is his state in not accepting faith and finding it burdensome, as if he were climbing up into the sky with difficulty. And just as Allah makes the chest of whomever He wills to lead astray tight and constricted, so He empowers Satan against him and those like him who refuse the truth.

This is the straight path of your Lord. We have made the verses clear for people who take heed.

And what We have made clear to you, O Muhammad, in this Surah and others is the Path of your Lord—straight with no crookedness; so remain steadfast upon it. We have already made clear the proofs of its soundness for those who take heed of the truth and thus benefit from the reminder.

They will have the Home of Peace with their Lord, and He will be their Protector because of what they used to do.

Those who take heed will have Paradise, the Home of Peace, and their Lord Almighty will be their Guardian and Protector as a reward for their righteous deeds.

On the Day when He will gather them all together [saying], “O assembly of jinn, you have misled many humans.” Their human friends will say, “Our Lord, we have benefited from one another[42], but now we have reached our term which You appointed for us.” He will say, “The Fire is your abode, abiding therein forever, except if Allah wills otherwise.” Your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.

And mention, O Muhammad, the Day when Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will gather those polytheists with their allies from among the jinn. Then He will say, rebuking the jinn: "You have indeed misled many of the humans, and you have led great numbers of them astray." The jinn will reply: "Our Lord, we benefited and profited from one another until we reached the appointed time for our death." Allah will say to them: "The Fire is the place where you will reside forever, except as Allah wills." Indeed, your Lord, O Muhammad, is All-Wise; He only punishes those who deserve it, and His knowledge encompasses all things, so He knows who deserves the punishment.

This is how We make the wrongdoers take control over one another[43] because of what they used to do.

And just as We made some of those polytheists from among the jinn and humans allies, so We give every wrongdoer authority over another like himself because of the evil deeds they used to do.

“O assembly of jinn and humans, did there not come to you messengers from among you, reciting to you My verses and warning you of meeting this Day of yours?” They will say, “We testify against ourselves.” They were deluded by the life of this world, and they will testify against themselves that they were disbelievers.

On that day, Allah Almighty will say: "O mankind and jinn, did there not come to you messengers from among you, reciting to you My verses which were revealed, and warning you of the horrors and the punishment that would occur on this day of yours?" They will say: "We acknowledge that Your messengers did indeed convey that, but we denied them!" Indeed, the adornment of worldly life deceived those polytheists and their allies among the jinn, so it distracted them from working for the Hereafter. And these polytheists will bear witness on the Day of Resurrection that they were disbelievers in Allah Almighty and in His messengers in the worldly life. Thus, Allah’s argument is established against them by their own confession, and so they will be punished.

This is because your Lord would never destroy a town for their wrongdoing while its people are unaware [of the truth].

That warning and admonition on the tongues of the messengers in this world is a reality, because your Lord, O Muhammad, does not destroy the towns for their disbelief and sins while their people are heedless. Therefore, the heedlessness must first be removed by sending the messengers and revealing the Books.

Everyone will be assigned ranks according to their deeds, for your Lord is not unaware of what they do.

And for all people—disbelievers and believers, obedient and disobedient—there are ranks in the Hereafter, which they will occupy according to their deeds. And your Lord, O Muhammad, is not unaware of their deeds, and He will recompense them for them on the Day of Resurrection.

Your Lord is the Self-Sufficient and full of Mercy. If He wills, He can take you away and replace you with whoever He wills, just as He brought you forth from the offspring of other people.

And your Lord, O Muhammad, is Self-Sufficient, in no need of His servants and their deeds. Their obedience does not benefit Him, nor does their disobedience harm Him. If He wills, He can do away with you, O people, if you disobey His command, and bring others after you as successors who will act in obedience to Him. For He is Able to do that, Glorified is He. Just as He produced you from the offspring of others before you and did away with the former generations and brought those who came after them, He is likewise able to do away with you and bring others in your place.

Indeed, what you have been promised will come to pass, and you will have no escape.

Indeed, what your Lord promises you of punishment, O polytheists, will inevitably befall you, and you will not be able to escape Allah Almighty by fleeing or averting from Him; rather, you are in His Grasp and under His Power.

Say [O Prophet], “O my people, carry on in your way, and so will I; you will come to know who will have the [best] ultimate abode. Indeed, the wrongdoers will never succeed.”

Say—O Muhammad—to the polytheists of Quraysh, when you call them to Allah and they persist in their polytheism: Persist in your ways which you have chosen for yourselves; I am doing what my Lord has commanded me and remaining upon my path. You will soon know, when the punishment befalls you, which of us was right in his actions and will thus have the good outcome in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, he who acts contrary to what He has commanded does not succeed or triumph with Allah.

They assign to Allah a portion of the crops and livestock He created, saying, “This is for Allah” – as they claim – “and this is for our partners [i.e., idols].” But that which is assigned for their partners does not reach Allah, while that which is assigned for Allah reaches their partners[44]. How unfair their judgment is!

The polytheists have assigned a portion for Him from the crops, fruits, and cattle that Allah Almighty has created, and they have assigned another portion to their partners [associate-gods] with Allah Almighty, while it is Allah, the Exalted, Who created it as a provision for them, not those partners. If anything from what they assigned to them reaches what they assigned to Allah Almighty, they would return it to its place with the share of their idols and keep it. And if anything from what they assigned to Allah Almighty gets mixed with what they assigned to their gods, they would not return it. How unfair and poor their judgment is!

Similarly, the evil associates of the pagans have made the killing of their children[45] appealing to them, in order to lead them to destruction and confuse them in their faith. If Allah had willed, they would not have done that. So leave them to their fabrications.

Just as the devils made it seem good to these polytheists to assign to Allah a share of what He has brought forth of crops and cattle, so too they made it seem good to them the killing of their children for fear of poverty and the burying alive of daughters for fear of disgrace. And all of that is from the deceptions of the devils, who wish to destroy them and to confuse their religion for them so that it becomes obscure, and they go astray! And if Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had willed, He would have prevented these polytheists from killing their children. But Allah, in accordance with His wisdom, left them to it and forsook them from the truth. So leave them, O Muhammad, and what they fabricate against Allah the Exalted of lies. And do not grieve over them, for they will not harm Allah Almighty in the least, and He will judge between you.

They say, “These livestock and crops are reserved, none may eat them except those[46] whom we wish,” – as they claim – and there are livestock whose backs are forbidden [from labor][47], and livestock over whom they do not mention the name of Allah [while slaughtering] – fabricating lies against Him[48]. He will punish them for their lies.

These polytheists said, "These cattle and crops are forbidden; no one may eat from them except those whom we permit," according to their whims, without any proof. And they forbade riding on the backs of some of their cattle, and they forbade a type of them upon which they do not mention the name of Allah when they ride them, or milk them, or slaughter them. This is a lie from them against Allah Almighty, who did not permit them to do so. And He will recompense them for their fabrication.

They also say, “What is in the bellies of these livestock[49] is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our females, but if it is stillborn, they all will have a share in it. He will punish them for what they attribute[50]. He is All-Wise, All-Knowing.

These polytheists also said: "All that is in the bellies of these livestock, of milk and fetus, is lawful for our males and forbidden to our females if the fetuses are born alive. But if what is in the bellies is born dead, then it is lawful for both males and females. Allah Almighty will recompense those who invent lies against Him when they describe what He made lawful as forbidden and what He made forbidden as lawful and attribute that to Him. Indeed, Allah Almighty is All-Wise in His actions, His words, His legislation, and His decree, All-Knowing of the deeds of His servants.

Losers indeed are those who kill their children foolishly out of ignorance and prohibit what Allah has provided for them – fabricating lies against Him. They have gone astray and are not guided.

Lost indeed are those polytheists who killed their children out of ignorance and lack of sense and forbade what Allah Almighty had made lawful for them of their livestock, which He had made a provision for them. They lost their children by killing them and restricted themselves in their wealth with things they innovated and forbade. In the Hereafter, they will be in the worst of abodes for their lying against Allah. They have indeed strayed from the truth and were not guided to it.

It is He Who brings into being gardens – trellised and untrellised – and palm trees and crops of different flavors, and olives and pomegranates – similar [in shape] yet different [in taste]. Eat of their fruit when they bear fruit and give out its due on the day of harvest. But do not be wasteful, for He does not like those who are wasteful.

It is Allah Who has brought into being gardens containing various kinds of trees and plants, whether they are trellised, with plants spreading over them and supported by pillars, or without trellises, which Allah Almighty causes to grow on a stalk or spreading flat upon the face of the earth. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created the palm trees and the crops and made what is eaten of their fruits and grains of different kinds. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created the olive and the pomegranate, similar in the appearance of their trees and leaves but dissimilar in the shape and taste of their fruit. You may eat of the fruits of the palm trees and the crops when they appear and give the due charity from what comes out of it at the time of its harvest. And do not exceed the limit of moderation in eating, for Allah Almighty does not love those who are extravagant in that or in anything else.

Among livestock are some that carry loads and others not. Eat of what Allah has provided for you, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan[51], for He is your sworn enemy.

And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created among the livestock those prepared for carrying loads, due to their size and height, like camels, and among them are those prepared for other than carrying, due to their smallness and closeness to the ground, like sheep. So eat of what Allah Almighty has made permissible for you of fruits, crops, and livestock, for Allah Almighty created them all and made them a provision for you. And do not follow the ways of Satan, among which is forbidding some of what Allah Almighty has provided for you. Indeed, Satan is a clear and manifest enemy to you.

[They are] eight [in four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge, if you are truthful.”

Allah Almighty created from the livestock eight pairs—among them are the male and female of sheep and goats. From the sheep are the ram and the ewe, and from the goats are the billy goat and the nanny goat. So say, O Muhammad, to those who have forbidden what Allah Almighty has provided for them: Has Allah forbidden the males of the goats and the sheep? For this is not your claim. Or has He forbidden their two females? For this is also not your claim. For you do not claim the prohibition of all males, nor all females of the sheep and the goats. Or do you forbid what the wombs of the female sheep and the female goat contain, without distinction between male and female? For you do not claim this either. So if you do not claim any of these three statements, then your differentiation between some males and some females and some of what is in the bellies of the livestock by making some of it lawful and forbidding some of it is a false differentiation. Thus, say to them, O Muhammad, "inform me with certainty and knowledge of the validity of this which you have forbidden and made lawful, if you are truthful in this claim of yours?!"

Likewise, a pair of camels and a pair of cattle. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you present when Allah gave you this commandment?” So who does greater wrong than the one who fabricates lies against Allah in order to mislead people without knowledge? Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Allah Almighty created from the livestock eight pairs, and among them are the male and the female of camels and cattle (cows): from the camels, the male camel and the she-camel, and from the cattle, the bull and the cow. So say—O Muhammad—to those who have forbidden what Allah Almighty has provided for them: Did Allah forbid the two males: the male of the camels and the cattle? For this is not your saying. Or did He forbid their two females? For this is not your saying either. For you do not say that all males are forbidden, nor all females, from the camels and the cattle. Or do you forbid what the wombs of the female camels and cattle contain, without distinction between male and female? For you do not say this either. So if you do not hold to any of these three sayings, then your differentiation between some males and some females and some of what is in the wombs of the livestock, by permitting some of it and forbidding some of it, is a false differentiation. Or were you—O polytheists—present when Allah Almighty commanded you with this which you say? For this is also false. So who is more unjust than the one who lies about Allah Almighty to mislead people from the truth without proof? Indeed, Allah Almighty does not guide these and other wrongdoers to the truth.

Say [O Prophet], “I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden to eat except carrion, running blood or the swine flesh – which is impure – or a sinful offering in the name of other than Allah. However, if someone is compelled by necessity – neither driven by desire nor transgressing due limit – then your Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Say—O Muhammad—to those who have forbidden the provision of Allah as a fabrication against Allah: I do not find in what Allah Almighty has revealed to me anything forbidden to eat, except that it be carrion that died without lawful slaughter, or flowing blood, like that which comes out of the slaughtered animal at the time of its slaughter, or the flesh of a pig—and its fat is included—for indeed these things are impure. And I do not find in what Allah Almighty has revealed to me anything forbidden to eat—in addition to the foregoing—except that which has been slaughtered for other than Allah, upon which a name other than His Almighty has been mentioned; for it is a departure from the obedience of Allah Almighty into disobedience and disbelief in Him. So whoever is compelled by necessity to eat any of those four forbidden things, not desiring to take pleasure in eating it, nor transgressing what Allah has permitted for him, eating only as much as is necessary to ward off death, then there is no blame upon him; for indeed Allah Almighty is All-Forgiving for that and Most Merciful to His servants.

To the Jews We forbade every animal of undivided hooves[52], and of the cattle and sheep, We forbade their fat except what attaches to their backs or intestines, or what sticks to their bones. This is how We recompensed them for their transgression, and We are Truthful.

We prohibited the Jews from eating of every animal with uncloven hooves—such as the ostrich and the duck. We also forbade them the fat of cattle and sheep, except what is attached to their backs, or what the intestines carry and what is similar to it, like the entrails, and what fat is mixed with the bones, like the fat of the tail and others; for that fat is lawful for them. That restriction upon the Jews was a punishment for them for their wrongdoing, and We are indeed Truthful in all that We say, do, and judge.

But if they reject you [O Prophet], then say, “Your Lord is the possessor of infinite mercy, but His punishment cannot be averted from the wicked people.”

But if your opponents from among the polytheists and the Jews deny you—O Muhammad—say to them: "Your Lord is of vast mercy to whoever obeys Him, and He will admit him into His Paradise. So hasten to His mercy by believing in what Muhammad has brought. Your Lord has had mercy on you, as He did not hasten His punishment upon you and has lavished His blessings upon you, while you deny His messengers. But when His punishment befalls, nothing can avert it from those who have committed grievous sins.

Those who associate partners with Allah will say, “If Allah had willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have associated anything with Him, nor would we have made anything forbidden[53].” Likewise, those who came before them rejected the truth until they tasted Our punishment. Say, “Do you have any knowledge that you can present to us? You follow nothing but assumption and you do nothing but lie.

The polytheists will say—arguing with predestination for abandoning the truth after it became clear to them—: If Allah, Who is aware of our polytheism and our prohibition of what we have forbidden, had willed that we single Him out in worship and permit what we have forbidden, we would not have associated partners with Him, nor would our forefathers before us, nor would we have forbidden what we forbid, because He can inspire us with faith or prevent us from disbelief and disobedience. So since He did not do so, it indicates His approval of what we are upon! And just as these polytheists denied what you brought them—O Muhammad—of the prohibition of worshipping other than Allah Almighty and forbidding other than what Allah, the Glorified, has forbidden, so too did those before them from the wicked past nations deny what their prophets brought them of the signs of Allah, and this denial continued to be their custom until We inflicted Our punishment upon them. So say—O Muhammad—to these polytheists: Do you have certain knowledge that Allah Almighty is pleased with you in what you are doing?! The truth is that you only follow mere conjectures without proof, and you lie against Him.

Say, “Allah alone has the most conclusive argument. If He had willed, He could have guided you all.”

Say—O Muhammad—to these polytheists: To Allah alone belongs the conclusive argument that reveals the truth, cuts off excuses, and invalidates your assumptions. If Allah Almighty had willed your guidance, He would have guided you all to follow the truth. But His wisdom dictates guiding whoever chooses guidance, believes, and accepts the truth, and forsaking whoever chooses disbelief out of clear evidence, then denies and becomes arrogant.

Say [O Prophet], “Bring your witnesses who can testify that Allah has forbidden all this.” If they testify, do not testify with them. Do not follow the desires of those who reject Our verses, and who disbelieve in the Hereafter, and they set up equals to their Lord.

Say—O Muhammad—to those who invent lies against their Lord: "Bring your witnesses who testify that Allah has forbidden what you have forbidden." Then if they bring witnesses, do not testify with them because they are liars and false witnesses. And do not follow the desires of those people who have denied the revelation of Allah Almighty regarding prohibition and making things permissible and have disbelieved in the Last Day and who, despite that, associate partners with Him.

Say [O Prophet], “Come, I will recite to you what your Lord has forbidden to you: do not associate any partners with Him[54], and honor your parents. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty, for We provide for you and for them. Do not approach shameful acts, whether openly or in secret. Do not kill the soul sanctified by Allah, except lawfully. This is what He commands you, so that you may understand.

Say—O Muhammad—to these polytheists: Come, I will inform you of what your Lord has forbidden: He has totally forbidden associating partners with Him, and He has commanded you to be good to your parents, and not to kill your children, male or female, because of your poverty; for He has undertaken to provide for everyone, and He commanded them to avoid every extreme evil and reprehensibel trait, and to avoid its means, whether it is done openly for people to see, or without their knowledge, and not to kill the soul which Allah has forbidden to be killed, for He has made it inviolable, except by a way that legally necessitates its killing, and those matters mentioned in the verse, your Lord has enjoined upon you, so that you may understand them and act upon them.

Do not approach the orphan’s property, except to improve it, until he attains maturity. Give full measure and weight with justice. We do not burden any soul beyond what it can bear. And maintain justice when you speak, even if it be about a close relative. And fulfill the covenant of Allah. This is what He commands you, so that you may take heed.

Do not approach the orphan's property except in a way that is most beneficial for him. When he reaches maturity and you perceive from him sound judgment, then hand over his property to him. And give full measure and weight with justice. Whoever strives in that and makes a mistake or falls short after exerting his effort, there is no blame upon him. And when you judge between people, speak the truth among them and be just, even if the one against whom the judgment is directed is a relative of yours. And fulfill the covenant of Allah, which He has enjoined upon you, by obeying Him, Glorified is He, in what He has commanded you and avoiding what He has forbidden you. This is what Allah has clarified of the rulings He has entrusted to you, so that you may remember it and act upon it and remember the consequences of your affair so that you may be deterred.

This is My straight path; follow it and do not follow other ways, lest they lead you away from His way. This is what He commands you, so that you may become righteous.”

This is what your Lord has enjoined upon you—O people—and commanded you to fulfill: it is His Path leading to Him and to His Garden, which He has made perfectly straight, with no crookedness in it. So follow it, and do not follow other ways, lest they lead you away from His Way. He has ordained that for you so that you may be conscious of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

Then We gave Moses the Scripture, completing [Our favor] upon those who do good, and explaining everything in detail, and as a guidance and a mercy, so that they may believe in their meeting with their Lord.

We gave Moses the Torah, complete and comprehensive for what was needed in his law, as a reward for his excellence in deeds and his adherence to Our obedience, as a completion of Our favors upon him, an explanation for everything his people needed in detail from their religion, a guidance for them to the truth, and as a mercy upon them, so that his people might believe in the resurrection and prepare for it.

This [Qur’an] is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah, so that you may be shown mercy.

This Qur’an, which We have sent down to Muhammad, contains abundant good. Whoever follows it will be showered with blessings. So take it as a guide to follow, O people, and fear Allah Almighty so that you may be saved from His punishment.

You [pagans] may no longer say, “Scriptures were only sent down to two groups before us, and we were unaware of their teachings.”

We have sent down the Qur’an to you—O disbelievers of Quraysh—to cut off your excuse, lest you say, "No Book has been sent down to us from Allah for us to follow; the argument is only against the two groups—the Jews and the Christians—upon whom the Torah and the Gospel were sent down. We were unaware of their teachings, and we were not commanded to abide by what is in them."

Or you would say, “If only the Scriptures had been sent down to us, we would have been better guided than they.” Now there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord, a guidance and a mercy. Who does greater wrong than he who denies the verses of Allah and turns away from them? We will recompense those who turn away from Our verses with the worst punishment, for their turning away.

And lest you also say: "If a book had been sent down to us as it was sent down to the Jews and the Christians, we would have been more steadfast upon the truth than them." So there has come to you a book from Allah Almighty through Muhammad in the Arabic language: a clear proof against you, a guidance from misguidance, and a mercy for whoever follows it. So who is a greater transgressor than the one who denies the proofs of Allah, turns away from them, and turns people away from them? Allah Almighty will recompense those who turn people away from them with a terrible punishment.

Are they waiting for the coming of the angels, or the coming of your Lord, or the coming of some of your Lord’s signs[55]? On the Day when some of your Lord’s signs come, belief will be of no benefit to those who did not believe before, or those who did not do some good through their faith. Say, “Wait then; we too are waiting.”

Are these polytheists waiting for anything except for the angels to come and take their souls while they are in a state of disbelief, or for Allah to come on the Day of Resurrection to judge between the servants, or for the sun to rise from the west? And when it rises as such, the faith of a disbeliever who was not a believer before will not be accepted, nor will the repentance of a sinner be accepted, nor a righteous deed from anyone who had not been doing it before its rising. Say—O Muhammad—to the polytheists: "Wait for what has been mentioned to occur, then you will know who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Indeed, we are also waiting.

Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions[56], you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah alone; He will inform them of what they used to do.

Indeed, those who differed in the religion of Allah Almighty and abandoned it, or became divided in it, thus becoming sects, you are innocent of them—O Muhammad—and of what they are in. Indeed, their affair and their destiny are with Allah Almighty alone; then He, the Glorified, will inform them of what they used to do in the world and will recompense them.

Whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded tenfold, but whoever comes with an evil deed will only be punished with its like, and none will be wronged.

Whoever meets his Lord on the Day of Judgment with a good deed that he used to do in the world, for him is the reward of ten good deeds. And whoever meets his Lord, Glorified is He, on the Day of Judgment with a bad deed, his recompense is a single bad deed like it, without it being multiplied. And no one will be wronged by Allah, Glorified is He.

Say [O Prophet], “Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, an upright religion, the faith of Abraham, inclining to the true faith[57], and he was not one of those who associate partners with Allah.”

Say, O Muhammad, proclaiming: My Lord has blessed me by directing me and guiding me to the path of truth, in which there is no crookedness. It is an established, firm, and moderate religion, and it is the law of Abraham, who was upright upon the truth, inclining away from misguidance, and he was not of those who associate partners with Allah.

Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all for Allah[58], Lord of the worlds.

Say, O Muhammad, Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Creator of the worlds, their Owner, and their Disposer of affairs.

He has no partner. This is what I have been commanded, and I am the first to submit to Allah.”

He has no partner in any of that. With this devotion, my Lord has commanded me, and I am a servant under command; I must obey His command. And I am the first of this nation to acknowledge and submit to Allah, Glorified is He.

Say [O Prophet], “Should I seek a lord other than Allah, when He is the Lord of everything?” Every soul will face the consequences of its actions. No bearer of burden will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.

Say—O Muhammad—to these polytheists: "Shall I take a lord other than Allah, while He is the Creator, Owner, and Disposer of all things?! Whatever sins a person earns, none of them will pass to someone else, for no soul commits a sin except that it alone is held accountable for it, and no soul shall bear any of the sins of another. Then to Allah Almighty is your return—O people—and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."

It is He Who has made you successors on earth and raised some of you over others in ranks, so that He may test you with that which He has given you. Your Lord is swift in punishment, and He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah Almighty destroyed those who were before you and brought you forth after them, succeeding them on the earth, generation after generation and century after century. And He has raised some of you above others in provisions, morals, and other matters, to test you in that, so He may see how you will act. Indeed, your Lord, O Muhammad, is swift in punishment for those who deserve it, yet He is All-Forgiving and Most Merciful to those who follow the truth, Glory be to Him.

Al-Araf

Alif Lām Mīm Sād[1].

These disjointed letters demonstrate the Qur’an’s miraculous (inimitable) nature, for they reveal the inability of creation to produce its like, even though it is composed of these very letters with which they speak!

This is a Book that has been sent down to you [O Prophet], so do not let your heart be troubled by it; so that you may warn thereby and as a reminder to the believers.

This Qur’an is a book that Allah Almighty has sent down to you, O Muhammad, so let not your heart be troubled by conveying it. Allah sent it down to warn the disbelievers and to remind the believers.

Follow [O mankind] what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any guardians besides Him. Little it is that you take heed!

Follow—O people—the Qur’an that has come to you from your Lord, and do not follow anything besides it, lest you depart from the truth to the judgment of others whom you take as patrons and whose desires you follow. Little do you remember; it avails you nothing.

How many towns We have destroyed, and Our punishment came upon them at night or while they were taking midday rest.

We have often destroyed the former nations who disobeyed Me and denied My messengers; We destroyed some of them in their homes by night, and the punishment overtook others by day at the time of their midday rest. So beware of denying Muhammad, lest I send down upon you the like of that.

Their only cry, when Our punishment came upon them, was, “We were indeed wrongdoers.”

So the only plea of those who were destroyed when the punishment came to them was to confess their own wrongdoing, and they had no power to ward off the punishment from themselves.

So We will surely question those to whom the messengers were sent, and We will surely question the messengers themselves.

So We will surely question the nations to whom I sent My messengers, a question of rebuke: What did they do with what the messengers brought them? Did they obey or disobey Me? And We will surely question their messengers about their conveying of their Lord's messages and about how their nations responded to them.

Then We will surely give them a full account [of their deeds] on the basis of knowledge, for We were never absent.

Then We will surely inform the servants on the Day of Resurrection, with knowledge, of what they said and what they did in the world, and We have not been absent from them at any time, nor from their deeds.

The weighing [of deeds] on that Day will be true and just. Those whose scales [of good deeds] are heavy, it is they who will be successful.

And the weighing of the deeds of the creatures on the Day of Resurrection will be with justice. So, as for those whose scales of good deeds are heavy, because the pan of their good deeds outweighs their evil deeds, it is they who are the saved, the successful.

But those whose scales are light, it is they who have lost their own souls, because they wrongfully rejected Our verses.

And whoever's scales of good deeds are light, and his evil deeds outweigh them, those are the ones who have lost their souls' share of Allah's reward and have ruined them, because they denied the signs of Allah Almighty.

We established you on earth and provided you with means of livelihood therein. Little do you give thanks.

We have surely prepared the earth for you, O people, and empowered you over it, and permitted you its benefits, and facilitated for you therein your means of livelihood from what comes out of trees, plants, and other things. Yet, little do you give thanks for these blessings!

We surely created you, then shaped you, then We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” so they prostrated, except Iblīs [i.e., Satan], who was not one of those who prostrated[2].

We certainly created your father, Adam, then We fashioned him as a well-proportioned human. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," as an honor to him and to show his virtue. So they prostrated, except for Iblīs. He did not prostrate to Adam out of arrogance towards him and self-conceit.

Allah said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I ordered you?” He said, “I am better than him; You created me from fire and created him from clay.”

So Allah Almighty said to Iblīs: "What prevented you from prostrating to Adam when I commanded you?" Iblīs said, "What prevented me from that is that I am better than him, because You created me from fire and created him from clay, and fire is superior to clay."

Allah said, “Then get down from here! It is not for you to show arrogance[3] here. Get out, for you are one of the disgraced.”

Allah Almighty said to Iblīs: "Get down from Paradise! It is not for you to be arrogant in it against My obedience, so get out! Indeed, you are one of the humiliated and contemptible.

He said, “Grant me respite until the Day they are resurrected.”

Iblīs said, "Delay my death until the Day when the creation is resurrected."

Allah said, “You are of those who are granted respite’’.

Allah said to Iblīs, "Indeed, you are of those given respite."

He said, “Since You have led me astray[4], I will certainly lie in wait for them on Your straight path.

Satan said, addressing his Lord, "So because You have led me astray, I swear by You I will surely lie in ambush for the descendants of Adam on the Straight Path of Truth."

Then I will come against them from their front and from their back, from their right and from their left[5], and You will not find most of them grateful.”

Then I will come to the children of Adam from all sides, and I will turn them away from the truth and make falsehood seem beautiful to them, and You will not find most of them grateful to You.

Allah said, “Get out of here, disgraced and expelled! I will certainly fill Hell with you and those who follow you all together.”

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said to Iblīs: "Get out of Paradise, despised, expelled from the mercy of Allah, the Glorified. I swear that I will fill Hell with those among the children of Adam who follow you and those from your offspring."

“O Adam, dwell in Paradise, you and your wife, and eat from wherever you wish, but do not approach this tree, or else you will both be among the wrongdoers.”

Then Allah the Almighty said to Adam (peace be upon him), "Take, you and your wife Eve, the Garden as a dwelling, and eat from anywhere in it and from all its fruits, but do not approach this tree, lest you become among those who have wronged themselves by disobeying the command of their Lord."

Then Satan whispered to them in order to expose what was hidden from them of their private parts. He said, “Your Lord has only forbidden to you this tree to prevent you from becoming angels or immortals.”

So Satan whispered to Adam and Eve to deceive them in order to reveal their private parts to them. And he said to them, lying, "Your Lord only forbade you this tree to prevent you from becoming two angels or two immortals in Paradise."

And he swore to them, “I am indeed your sincere adviser.”

And he swore to both of them by Allah, "I am a sincere advisor to you both regarding eating from the fruit of this tree, which Allah has forbidden you from."

So he deluded them both with deception. When they tasted the tree, their private parts became visible to them, so they began to put together leaves of the Garden to cover themselves. Their Lord called them, “Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is your sworn enemy?”

So he deceived them both and tempted them with false words. When Adam and Eve tasted the fruit of the tree, their private parts were revealed to them, and they began to put together upon their bodies the leaves of Paradise to cover their private parts. And Allah said to Adam and Eve, admonishing them, "Did I not forbid you from that tree and inform you that Satan is a clear enemy to you both?!"

They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”

Adam and Eve said, "Our Lord, we have wronged and harmed ourselves by disobeying You and obeying our enemy and Your enemy. And if You do not forgive our sin and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the doomed."

Allah said, “Get down as enemies to one another. You will find a dwelling place on earth and provision for an appointed time.”

Allah said to Adam, Eve, and Satan, "Descend from the heaven to the earth as enemies to one another—you and your descendants. And you will have on the earth a dwelling place, and after your death within it. And you will have therein provision to enjoy until your death."

He said, “There you will live, and there you will die, and from there you will be raised again.”

Allah said, "On the earth you will live the span of your lives, and in it will be your death, then you will be brought out from your graves alive to be recompensed for your deeds."

O children of Adam, We have given you garments that cover your private parts and as an adornment. However, the garment of piety – that is best. That is one of the signs of Allah, so that they may take heed.

O children of Adam, We have clothed you with garments that cover your private parts and with which you adorn yourselves. But the garment of piety of Allah is better for its owner. That clothing and adornment are from the signs of Allah that indicate His mercy upon His servants so that they may know the greatness of Allah's blessing upon them, take heed, and single out Allah, Glorified is He, in worship.

O children of Adam, do not let Satan seduce you as he caused your parents to be expelled from the Garden, stripping them of their garments and making their private parts visible to them. He and his offspring see you from where you cannot see them. We have made devils allies to those who disbelieve.

O children of Adam, do not let Satan deceive you by making sins appealing to you, just as he deceived your father Adam and your mother Eve, causing them to be expelled from Paradise and stripping them of the clothing Allah had provided them, to expose their private parts to them. Indeed, Satan and his offspring see you, while you do not see them. We have given the devils authority over the disbelievers, so they increase them in misguidance.

When they commit a shameful act[6], they say, “We found our forefathers doing it, and Allah has enjoined it upon us.” Say, “Allah never enjoins shameful acts. Do you say about Allah something of which you have no knowledge?”

And when the disbelievers commit a reprehensible action, such as their circumambulation of the Ka‘bah naked, they say: We found our fathers doing this, and Allah has commanded us to do it! So say, O Muhammad: Indeed, Allah does not command His servants to commit shameful deeds, so how can you claim that Allah has commanded you to do them when you have no proof for that?

Say [O Prophet], “My Lord has enjoined doing what is right; direct your faces [to Him alone] wherever you pray; call upon Him with sincere devotion to Him. Just as He created you first, so you will be brought back to life.”

Say, O Muhammad, "My Lord has commanded justice in His rights and the rights of His servants. Direct yourselves towards Allah alone in your prayers, in whatever mosque you may be, and call upon Allah alone, associating no partner with Him. Just as Allah created you the first time, bringing you into existence after you were nothing, so you will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection, alive after your death."

A group He has guided, and another group deserved to go stray. They have taken devils as their guardians instead of Allah, thinking that they are guided.

Allah Almighty has guided a group and made the means of guidance easy for them. There is also a group upon whom misguidance was decreed after He had made the guidance clear to them. However, they did not accept it and acted upon the causes of deviation. Indeed, they took the devils as allies instead of Allah, so they obeyed them, while those who have strayed think that they are guided!

O children of Adam, dress well for every prayer[7]. Eat and drink, but do not waste, for He does not like the wasteful.

O Children of Adam, take your adornment of good clothing, and cover your private parts with it at every mosque, in all prayers, during Tawaf, I'tikāf, and other acts of worship. And eat and drink from what I have made lawful, but do not be excessive in eating and drinking, and do not transgress the limits of Allah by making lawful things unlawful or consuming what is unlawful. Indeed, Allah does not love those who transgress His command, who are excessive in food, drink, and other things.

Say, “Who has forbidden the adornments and lawful provisions[8] that Allah has brought forth for His slaves?” Say, “They are for the believers in the life of this world, and they will be exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection. This is how We make the verses clear for people who have knowledge.”

Say—O Muhammad—to the ignorant Arabs who strip themselves naked when circumambulating the Ka‘bah and who forbid for themselves what I have made lawful. Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah that He has brought forth for His servants? And who has forbidden the good things of food, drink, and other things that Allah Almighty has made lawful?! Say, O Muhammad, "Indeed, the adornments and the lawful provisions of sustenance are for those who believe in the life of this world, though the disbelievers share with them in it, but in the Hereafter, they are exclusively for the believers. Just as We have clearly detailed for you the lawful and the unlawful, making plain the prohibition of exposing the private parts and the permissibility of adornments and lawful provisions, so do We make clear in this Qur’an everything that requires clarification for those who understand Allah’s verses and benefit from them."

Say, “My Lord has forbidden shameful acts[9] done openly or in secret, sinfulness, unjustified aggression, associating partners with Allah for which He has not sent down any authority, and saying about Allah that of which you have no knowledge.”

Say—O Muhammad—to these polytheists, "Indeed, my Lord has not forbidden what you make unlawful; rather, He has only forbidden extremely reprehensible sins—apparent or concealed—sinfulness, unjust aggression towards others, associating partners with Allah in worship for which He has not sent down any authority, and speaking about Allah without knowledge."

Each nation has its appointed time. When their appointed time comes, they cannot delay it for a moment or bring it forward.

For every disbelieving nation, there is a specified time for the punishment to come. When it arrives, they are destroyed; they can neither delay it by an hour nor advance it.

O children of Adam, when there come to you messengers from among you, reciting My verses to you – then whoever fears Allah and mends his ways, they will have no fear, nor will they grieve[10].

O children of Adam! When messengers whom I have sent from among you—humankind—come to you, reciting My verses to you and clarifying what is in them, then whoever among you fears Allah, refrains from the prohibitions, and performs acts of obedience—there will be no fear for them concerning what lies ahead, nor will they grieve over what has passed.

But those who reject Our verses and show arrogance towards them, they are the people of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

But those among you who denied My verses brought by My messengers and acted arrogantly—turning away from believing their divine reports and from acting upon their rulings—those are the people of the Fire and bound to it; they will abide therein, never to emerge from it.

Who does greater wrong than the one who fabricates lies against Allah or rejects His verses? They will receive the share that is destined for them, until when Our angel-messengers come to take their souls, saying, “Where are those whom you used to invoke besides Allah?” They will say, “They are lost from us,” and they will testify against themselves that they were disbelievers.

No one is more unjust than he who invents a lie against Allah or denies His verses. They will receive their portion written in the Preserved Tablet—of provisions, deeds, and lifespans—until the angels come to them to take their souls. When they come to them, they will say: "Where are those you used to worship besides Allah? For they have not come to save you?" The disbelievers will say to them: "They have vanished and deserted us, and they did not benefit us." Thus, the disbelievers will confess against themselves that they were indeed disbelievers.

Allah will say, “Enter the Fire along with nations of jinn and humans who have passed on before you.” Every time a nation enters, it will curse the preceding one until they are all gathered inside, the followers will say about their leaders, “Our Lord, they have led us astray, so give them a double punishment of the Fire.” He will say, “Each will have a double punishment, but you do not know.”

Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection to the disbelievers, "Enter among groups with attributes like yours from the disbelieving jinn and humans who have passed before you, so enter all of you into the Fire." And whenever a group of them enters the Fire, it curses another group from its own religion that preceded it in entering the Fire. Until, when the first and the last of the people of the disbelieving religions are gathered therein, the last of them to enter the Fire—who are the followers—will say to the first of them—who are the followed leaders: "Our Lord, these are the ones who led us astray from Your path, so double their punishment." Allah will say, "For each of you and them is an increased punishment, but you do not know the extent of what Allah has prepared of it."

The leaders will say to their followers, “You were no better than us, so taste the punishment for what you used to do.”

The leaders will say to their followers, "You were no better than us—nothing to warrant that our torment be harsher than yours. We are alike in disbelief and in deserving the punishment. So taste the torment for your disbelief and your sins."

Those who reject Our verses and show arrogance towards them, the gates of heaven will not be opened for them[11], nor will they enter Paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle. This is how We recompense the wicked.

Indeed, those who deny Our verses and turn away from believing in them and acting upon them—no word or deed of theirs ascends to Allah, nor is any supplication answered for them, nor are blessings and mercies sent down to them. The gates of Heaven will not be opened for their souls when they die, nor will they ever enter Paradise, just as a camel does not enter the eye of a needle. Thus does Allah punish everyone who denies His verses and is arrogant toward them.

Hell will be their resting place and above them will be coverings [of fire]. This is how We recompense the wrongdoers.

They will have a bed of fire beneath them and over them a covering of fire; thus does Allah Almighty recompense every wrongdoer.

As for those who believe and do righteous deeds – We do not burden a soul more than what it can bear – they are the people of Paradise, they will abide therein forever.

As for those who believe and do righteous deeds—We do not burden any soul beyond its capacity—they are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein forever.

We will remove all ill feelings from their hearts[12] and rivers will flow beneath them. They will say, “All praise be to Allah Who has guided us to this, for We would not have been guided to this if Allah had not guided us. The messengers of our Lord came with the truth.” They will be called, “This is Paradise that you are made to inherit for what you used to do.”

And We will remove from the breasts of the people of Paradise any rancor and hatred and the like of what had been between them in the life of this world; rivers will flow beneath their gardens and palaces. And they will say, "All praise be to Allah, Who has guided us to this; and we would not have been guided if Allah had not guided us. Indeed, the messengers of our Lord did come with the truth—among which was the promise of Paradise." And it will be said to them, "This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit—as an inheritance taken from the disbelievers—because of your faith and obedience. Thus, you attained the mercy of Allah, and He admitted you into it and settled you in the dwellings of the disbelievers, which would have been their destination had they believed and done righteous deeds."

The people of Paradise will call out to the people of Hell, “We have surely found our Lord’s promise to be true. Have you also found your Lord’s promise to be true[13]?” They will say, “Yes.” Then a caller will announce among them, “May Allah’s curse be upon the wrongdoers,

The inhabitants of Paradise will call out to the inhabitants of the Fire after each of them has settled in their dwellings, "O people of the Fire, we have found what our Lord promised us through the tongues of His messengers of reward for faith and righteous deeds to be true. So have you found what your Lord promised you of punishment for disbelief and sins to be true?" They will say, "Yes." Then a crier will call out with a loud voice between the people of the Fire and the people of Paradise, saying: "The curse of Allah be upon the wrongdoers."

those who prevent [people] from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, and who disbelieve in the Hereafter.”

Those wrongdoers are the ones who, in the life of this world, turned away from Islam, prevented people from following it, and strove to make the Way of Truth appear crooked so that no one would follow it, while they were deniers and disbelievers concerning the Hereafter.

Between them there will be a barrier[14], and on its Heights there will be men[15] who will recognize each group by their marks. They will call out to the people of Paradise, “Peace be on you.” They will not have entered it, yet they will eagerly hope [to enter].

Between Paradise and Hell is a barrier that prevents the people of Hell from reaching Paradise. Upon it are men whose good deeds are equal to their bad deeds. They recognize the people of Paradise by the whiteness and beauty of their faces and recognize the people of Hell by the blackness and ugliness of their faces. They call out to the people of Paradise with a greeting, which is a prayer for safety from calamities. The people of the Heights have not yet entered Paradise, but they hope to enter it.

And when their eyes are turned towards the people of Hell, they will say, “Our Lord, do not join us with the wrongdoing people.”

And when Allah turns the eyes of the companions of the Heights towards the companions of the Fire, and they see their torment, they call upon Allah, "Our Lord, do not place us with these wrongdoing people."

The people of the Heights will call out to some men whom they recognize by their marks, saying, “Neither your great numbers[16] nor your arrogance were of any avail to you.”

The companions of the Heights will call out to men from the leaders of the disbelievers and the polytheists—whom they knew in the world by their persons and recognize in the Fire by the marks of its inhabitants—saying, "Of what benefit to you was what you used to amass in the world of wealth and the like, and your arrogance over the people, and your haughtiness against the truth?"

“Are these the ones whom you swore that Allah would never grant mercy?” “Enter Paradise; you will have no fear, nor will you grieve.”

The people of the Heights say to those disbelievers: "Are these the weak ones whom Allah has admitted into Paradise, the ones you swore in the world that Allah would not care for enough to admit them into His Paradise?!" Then it is said to the people of the Heights: "Enter Paradise; you will have no fear of what is to come, nor will you grieve over what has passed."

The people of the Fire will call out to the people of Paradise, “Send down to us some water or any provision that Allah has given you.” They will say, “Allah has forbidden both to the disbelievers,

The people of the Fire will call out to the people of Paradise, seeking their help from the severe hunger and thirst that has afflicted them, saying: "O people of Paradise, pour upon us some water or some of what Allah has provided you of the foods of Paradise." The people of Paradise will say to them: "Indeed, Allah has forbidden that for the disbelievers."

those who took their religion as amusement and play[17], and were deceived by the life of this world. Today We will ignore them just as they ignored their meeting of this Day and because they used to reject Our verses.”

Those disbelievers are the ones who took their religion, to which they were called, as mockery and play. They ridiculed it, and the worldly life deceived them with its adornments, and they turned away from the Hereafter. Allah Almighty will say on the Day of Resurrection: "On this Day, We will leave those disbelievers in Hell, thirsty and hungry, just as they abandoned faith and righteous deeds in the world and they denied Our verses."

We have brought them a Book which We have explained in detail on the basis of knowledge, as guidance and mercy for people who believe.

I swear that We have brought the Qur’an to those disbelievers, and We have explained in it everything that people need to have explained, with knowledge from Us about that. And Allah has made it a guidance to the truth and a mercy in this world and the Hereafter for those who believe in it and follow it.

Are they waiting except for the fulfillment [of its warning][18]? On the Day when it is fulfilled, those who ignored it before will say, “The messengers of our Lord surely came with the truth. Are there any intercessors who can intercede on our behalf? Or can we be sent back so that we may do other than what we used to do?” In fact, they will have ruined themselves and all that they used to fabricate will be lost from them.

Are the disbelievers waiting for anything other than the fulfillment of what the Qur’an has foretold, of the coming of the Day of Resurrection, the Reckoning, and the Recompense? When that Day comes, those who abandoned acting upon the Qur’an will say with regret: "It has now become clear to us that the messengers of our Lord were truthful in their call, but we denied them. So are there any intercessors for us to save us? Or could we be sent back to the world to do righteous deeds?" The disbelievers have certainly lost their share of the reward and doomed themselves to punishment, and those whom they took as partners with Allah or as gods besides Him have vanished from them, and they did not benefit them in any way.

Your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and earth in six days and then rose over [i.e., istawa] the Throne[19]. He makes the night and day overlap in rapid succession. He made the sun, the moon, and the stars – all subservient to His command. Behold, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Indeed, your Lord, O people, is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and then He rose over the Throne in a manner befitting His majesty. Allah Almighty covers the light of the day with the darkness of the night and covers the darkness of the night with the light of the day, each of them seeking the other rapidly. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created the sun, the moon, and the stars—all subjected to His command. So to Allah Almighty alone belongs the attribute of creation, and to Him alone belongs the command, so He commands whatever He wills. Great is the One Worshipped, Glorified and Exalted is He, and abundant are His blessings and His goodness. He is the Creator, the Sovereign, the Disposer of the affairs of all His creation.

Call upon your Lord humbly and privately, for He does not like the transgressors.

O people, call upon your Lord alone—humbly and submissively—privately between you and Him; indeed, your Lord does not like the transgressors of His limits, in supplication and otherwise.

Do not spread corruption on earth after it has been set aright, but call upon Him with fear and hope[20]. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is close to those who do good.

And do not cause corruption on the earth through polytheism, sins, and the like, after Allah Almighty has set it aright. And call upon Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, with sincerity to Him, while you are in a state of fear of His wrath and punishment and in hope of His pleasure and reward. Indeed, the mercy of Allah in this world and the Hereafter is hoped for by the doers of good in the worship of Allah and the doers of good to the servants of Allah.

It is He Who sends the winds as glad tidings ahead of His Mercy, until when they bear heavy clouds, We drive them to a lifeless land then We send down rain from it, producing thereby every kind of fruit. This is how We raise the dead, so that you may take heed.

And it is Allah Who sends the winds as harbingers of the coming of rain, until, when they have carried a cloud heavy with water, We drive the cloud to a barren land with no vegetation in it. Then We send down that water upon it, and by means of it, We bring forth all kinds of fruits. And just as We revived the dead land with water and brought forth fruits with it, so shall We bring forth the dead from their graves alive; perhaps with what We have made clear to you, you may remember the truth and follow it.

Good land produces its vegetation by the Will of its Lord, but bad land only produces poor and scanty vegetation[21]. This is how We diversify the signs for people who give thanks.

The land of good soil has its vegetation come forth—when Allah sends down the rain—quickly, beautifully, and good, by Allah's permission. And the land of bad soil has its vegetation come forth—when Allah sends down the rain—with difficulty and slowly, with no benefit in it. And just as We have diversified the verses, indicating the invalidity of polytheism and establishing the divinity of Allah Almighty and His great power of resurrection and other things, We also diversify the verses in all that is needed, presenting them in various styles for a people who thank Allah Almighty for His blessings, for they are the ones who benefit from those verses.

Indeed, We sent Noah to his people. He said, “O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a momentous Day.”

I swear that We sent Noah to his people, who associated others with Allah, and he said, "O my people, worship Allah alone; you have no deity other than Him. Indeed, I fear for you—if you persist in your misguidance—the punishment of a tremendous Day, the Day of Resurrection."

The chiefs of his people said, “We certainly see that you are clearly misguided.”

The arrogant chiefs and leaders from among the people of Noah, when he called them to worship Allah alone, said, "We surely see that you are clearly misguided."

He said, “O my people, I am not misguided, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.

He said, "O my people! I am not astray from the path of truth! But I am sent to you from the One Who created all things—their Owner and Disposer of affairs."

I convey to you the messages of my Lord and give you sincere advice, and I know from Allah what you do not know.

My duty is to convey to you the message of my Lord, which is to command you to worship Him alone, to forbid you from associating partners with Him, and to call you to obey Him, seeking for you through this the good in this world and the Hereafter. And I know what Allah has revealed to me of His names, attributes, and actions, such as His forgiveness for the repentant, the severity of His might against the polytheists, and that His punishment will not be delayed from them when it comes, and other things that you do not know.

Are you surprised that a reminder should come to you from your Lord through a man from among yourselves, so that he may warn you and you may fear Allah, and so that you may be shown mercy?”

Do you wonder that there has come to you a reminder from your Lord through a man from mankind—whose lineage and truthfulness you know?! He sent him so that he may warn you of His punishment for your disbelief and that you may fear Allah by placing between yourselves and His wrath and His punishment a barrier—through affirming His Oneness and obeying Him—so that you might receive mercy if you do so.

But they rejected him, so We delivered him and those who were with him in the Ark, and We drowned those who rejected Our signs[22]. They were indeed people who were blind [to the truth].

So the people of Noah persisted in disbelieving their messenger, so We saved him and those he carried with him in the Ark from among the believers, and of every male and female animal. And We drowned in the flood all the disbelievers who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were blind to the truth, so they did not perceive it with their hearts, nor were they guided to it.

To the people of ‘Ād We sent their brother Hūd. He said, “O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. Will you not then fear Him?”

And We sent to the tribe of ‘Ād their brother in lineage, Hūd, to call them to the truth. He said to them: "O my people, worship Allah alone. You have no deity worthy of worship other than Him. Will you not then fear the wrath and punishment of Allah if you persist in your polytheism?"

The disbelieving chiefs of his people said, “Indeed, we see you as foolish, and we think you are one of the liars.”

The arrogant chiefs and leaders of Hūd’s people said: "Indeed, we see you in foolishness and light-mindedness, as you call us to worship Allah alone and to abandon what our forefathers used to worship. And we certainly think that you are one of the liars in this."

He said, “O my people, there is no foolishness in me[23], but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds,

Hūd said, "O my people, there is no foolishness in me nor weakness of mind for calling you to monotheism and to renounce polytheism, but I am a messenger to you from Allah, the Creator, the Sovereign, the Disposer of all things."

I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and I am your sincere adviser.

My duty is to convey to you my Lord’s messages: commanding you to uphold His Oneness, forbidding you from associating partners with Him, and inviting you to obey Him. By this, I seek for you the good of this world and the Hereafter; I do not deceive you. I am truly a trustworthy messenger to you, conveying to you my Lord’s messages as I have been commanded.

Are you surprised that a reminder should come to you from your Lord through a man from among yourselves? Remember when He made you successors after the people of Noah and increased you amply in stature. Remember Allah’s favors, so that you may be successful.”

Do you find it astonishing and unlikely that a reminder should come to you from your Lord through a man from among yourselves—whose lineage and truthfulness you know—to warn you of Allah’s punishment for your disbelief? And remember that He made you successors in the land after the destruction of the people of Noah, and He has distinguished you among people with greater stature and physical strength. So remember the favours of Allah and thank Him by obeying and worshipping Him alone, so that you may attain salvation and success.

They said, “Have you come to tell us that we should worship Allah alone and abandon what our forefathers used to worship? Bring upon us what you are threatening us with[24] if you are truthful.”

The people of ‘Ād said to Hūd, "Have you come to us so that we would worship Allah alone and abandon what our forefathers used to worship?! We will never do that. So bring us what you threaten us with of the punishment, if what you claim is true."

He said, “You are definitely going to be subjected to the punishment and wrath of your Lord. Do you dispute with me concerning mere names[25] that you and your forefathers have made up which Allah has never authorized? Then wait; I am too waiting with you.”

Hūd said to his people: "You have deserved the punishment and wrath of Allah, so it will inevitably befall you. Do you dispute with me about these idols, which you and your fathers have named gods, while they are merely names you have fabricated, having no reality, and for which Allah has not authorized you to worship?! So wait, anticipating the coming of Allah's punishment that I have promised you. Indeed, I am waiting with you too."

Then We saved him[26] and those who were with him by Our mercy, and exterminated all those who rejected Our signs[27], for they would not believe.

So We saved Hūd and the believers with him as a mercy from Us; whereas, We eradicated with a severe punishment those from the people of Hūd who denied Our signs, leaving none of them behind. And they were not believers in Allah and His Messenger Hūd (peace and blessings be upon him).

And to the people of Thamūd [We sent] their brother, Sālih. He said, “O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord: this is a she-camel[28] of Allah, as a sign to you. So leave her to graze in Allah’s land, and do not harm her in any way, or else a painful punishment will seize you.

And We sent to the tribe of Thamūd their brother in lineage, Sālih, to call them to the Truth. He said: "O my people, worship Allah alone; you have no deity worthy of worship other than Him. Clear proof has come to you from your Lord for the truth of my claim, which is this noble she-camel. Allah Almighty has made her a great and convincing sign for you. So let her graze in Allah's land, and do not touch her with any harm, or else a painful punishment will seize you."

Remember when He made you successors after ‘Ād and settled you in the land; you make palaces on its plains and carve homes in the mountains. So remember the bounties of Allah, and do not spread corruption in the land.”

And remember Allah’s favor upon you: when He made you successors in the land after He destroyed ‘Ād and settled you in the land of al-Hijr—between the Hijaz and the Sham (the Levant)—you build palaces on its level plains and lowlands, taking its bricks and clay and laying their foundations with stone, and you carve the rocks of the mountains, making for yourselves other dwellings therein. So remember Allah’s favours and be grateful to Him for them by obeying and worshipping Him alone, and do not spread corruption in the land through polytheism and sins.

The arrogant chiefs of his people said to those believers who were oppressed, “Do you really know that Sālih has been sent by his Lord?” They said, “We surely believe in what he has been sent with.”

The arrogant chiefs and leaders among his people, who were haughty toward the truth, said to those who were oppressed—the believers in him, "Are you certain that Sālih is a messenger from Allah to us?" They replied, "We certainly believe in the truth with which Allah has sent Sālih."

Those who were arrogant said, “As for us, we surely disbelieve in what you believe.”

Those who were arrogant among the people of Sālih said: "Indeed, we are disbelievers in that which you have believed in of the truth."

Then they killed the she-camel and defied their Lord’s command, and said, “Bring us what you are threatening us if you are indeed one of the messengers.”

So the disbelievers of Thamūd killed the she-camel, insolently defied their Lord’s command, and exceeded all bounds in their falsehood, and said, "O Sālih, here we are—we have killed Allah’s she-camel; so hasten for us what you promise us of Allah’s punishment, if you are truly one of the messengers of Allah."

Then an earthquake seized them, and they fell lifeless in their homes.

So the Blast seized them, from whose intensity the earth shook, and they were left in their town, fallen dead, clinging to the ground.

So he turned away from them, saying, “O my people, I did convey my Lord’s message to you and gave you sincere advice, but you do not like sincere advisers.”

So Sālih turned away from his people after their destruction and said, rebuking them: "I have delivered to you all that Allah Almighty commanded me to deliver, and I wished you well and strove for your guidance, but you dislike sincere advisors, so you did not benefit from my advice."

And [We sent] Lot, when he said to his people, “Do you commit such a shameful act[29] that nobody has ever done before you?

And remember Lot, when he said to his people: "Do you commit such a shameful act—namely, approaching males from the rear—that no human has ever done before you?"

For you approach men lustfully instead of women; you are but a transgressing people[30].”

Indeed, O people, you approach men lustfully from behind, and you forsake approaching women! You have no excuse for that; rather, you are a people who transgress the limits of Allah Almighty.

The only reply his people gave was to say, “Drive them out of your town, for they are people who keep themselves pure[31]!”

And the only response of Lot's people when he forbade them from that abomination was that they said to one another: "Expel Lot and his family from your town, for they are people who keep themselves pure from what we do!"

So We saved him and his family except his wife[32]; she was one of those who remained behind.

So We saved Lot (peace be upon him) and his family, who believed in him, except his disbelieving wife; she was among those who remained behind in the punishment.

And We rained down upon them a rain [of brimstone]. So see how was the end of the evildoers.

And We rained upon the disbelievers of the people of Lot stones of intensely hot clay. So see, O Muhammad, what was the end of those criminals! Allah Almighty disgraced and destroyed them.

And to the people of Midian [We sent] their brother Shu‘ayb. He said, “O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. Give full measure and weight, and do not defraud people of their property[33], and do not spread corruption in the land after it has been set aright. That is best for you, if you are [truly] believers.

And We sent to the tribe of Midian their brother in lineage, Shu‘ayb, to call them to the Truth. He said to them: "O my people, worship Allah alone; you have no deity worthy of worship other than Him. Clear proof has come to you from your Lord of the truthfulness of my call. So give full measure and weight, and do not cause corruption on the earth through polytheism, sins, and oppressing people, after Allah Almighty has set it right. Indeed, what I have commanded you is for your own good if you are truly believers."

Do not lie in wait on every path, threatening and preventing from Allah’s path[34] those who believe in Him, and seeking to make it crooked. Remember when you were few, then He increased you in number. See how was the end of those who spread corruption.

And do not sit on every path, threatening people with death or torment if they do not give you their wealth or if they wish to believe in Allah and follow Shu‘ayb. You prevent those who believe in Him from obeying Allah and turn them away from following His Prophet. You wish for the path of Allah to be crooked, following your own desires. And remember when you were few, then He increased you in number, so thank Him and be sincere in your worship to Him. And see how the end of those who spread corruption on earth from the nations before you was, for punishment befell them.

If there are some among you who believe in what I have been sent with, while others do not believe, then be patient until Allah judges between us, and He is the Best of Judges.”

And if a group among you has believed in what Allah has sent me with—of His oneness and the abandonment of corruption in His land—and another group has not believed, then wait for Allah's judgment between us. And Allah is the best of those who judge between His differing servants.