T. S. M.
These are the signs of the clear Book.
Perhaps you are tormenting yourself with grief because they will not become believers.
If We wished, We could bring down upon them a sign from the sky to which their necks would remain bowed in subjection.
Never does a new Reminder come to them from the Almighty without them turning away from it.
They have denied, and so the news of that which they used to ridicule will certainly come to them.
Have they not looked at the earth, how many noble pairs We have grown in it?
Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
When your Lord called out to Moses: "Go to the transgressing people,
Pharaoh's people; will they not be reverent?"
He said, "My Lord, I fear they will deny me.
My chest may become constricted, and my tongue would not be fluent, so send for Aaron.
They also hold a charge against me, so I fear they will kill me."
He said, "Not so! Go, the two of you, with Our signs. We are with you, listening.
Go to Pharaoh and say, 'We are the messengers of the Lord of the Worlds,
so send with us the Children of Israel.' "
He said, "Did we not raise you among us from when you were a newborn, and you remained among us several years of your life?
Then you went and did that deed of yours that you did! You were indeed of the ungrateful."
He said, "I did it then when I was one of the misguided.
So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me sound judgment and made me one of the messengers.
This favour which you boast of having granted me, was it that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?"
Pharaoh said, "And what is the Lord of the Worlds?"
He said, "The Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, if only you had certainty."
He said to those around him, "Are you not listening?"
He said, "Your Lord, and the Lord of your forefathers."
He said, "Your messenger who has been sent to you is indeed mad."
He said, "The Lord of the east and the west and what is between them if you can reason."
He said, "If you take a god other than me, I will make you one of the imprisoned."
He said, "Even if I were to bring you something that is quite clear?"
He said, "Bring it then if you are one of the truthful."
So he cast his staff, whereupon it became a clear snake.
And he drew out his hand, whereupon it was white for the beholders.
He said to the leaders around him, "This is a knowledgeable magician.
He wishes to drive you out of your land by his magic, so what do you command?"
They said, "Let him and his brother wait, and send gatherers to the cities.
They will bring you every knowledgeable magician."
So the magicians were gathered for the appointment of a specified day.
And it was said to the people: "Will you gather around
so that we may follow the magicians if they are the victors?"
When the magicians came, they said to Pharaoh, "Is there a reward for us if we are the victors?"
He said, "Yes indeed, and you will then be among those who are close to me."
Moses said to them, "Cast down whatever it is you are going to cast."
So they cast down their ropes and sticks and said, "By Pharaoh's majesty, we will be the victors."
Then Moses threw his staff, whereupon it started swallowing up what they were deluding.
The magicians fell prostrate.
They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the Worlds.
The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
He said, "Have you believed him before I permit you to? He must be your chief who taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will cut your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you all."
They said, "No harm, for to our Lord we will return.
We hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first of the believers."
And We inspired Moses: "Travel with My servants by night. Indeed, you will be pursued."
So Pharaoh sent gatherers to the towns.
"These are a small group,
and they are enraging us,
but we are a vigilant multitude."
So We expelled them from gardens and springs,
and treasures, and a noble position.
So it was, and We bequeathed it to the Children of Israel.
So they pursued them at sunrise.
Then, when the two groups caught sight of one another, the companions of Moses said, "We will surely be caught."
He said, "No, my Lord is indeed with me; He will guide me."
So We inspired Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff." So it parted. Each part was like a huge mountain.
And We brought the others near.
We saved Moses and all those who were with him.
Then We drowned the others.
Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
Recite to them the news of Abraham
when he said to his father and his people, "What are you worshipping?"
They said, "We worship stone idols, and we remain devoted to them."
He said, "Do they hear you when you call?
Or do they benefit you or harm you?"
They said, "No, but we found our fathers thus doing."
He said, "Have you seen what you have been worshipping,
you and your fathers of old?
They are my enemies, but not so the Lord of the Worlds.
He is the One who created me, and so it is He who guides me.
And He is the One who feeds me and gives me drink.
And if I fall ill, it is He who heals me.
And the One who puts me to death, then brings me back to life.
And the One whom I hope will forgive my sins on the Day of the Religion."
"My Lord, grant me sound judgment and include me with the righteous.
And grant me an honourable mention among those who are to follow.
And make me among the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss.
And forgive my father. Indeed, he has been of the misguided.
And do not disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected;
the Day when neither wealth nor children can be of any benefit,
but the only benefit will be for those who come to God with a sound heart."
Paradise was brought near for the reverent,
and Hellfire was brought forward for the strayers,
and they were told, "Where are those whom you used to worship
besides God? Can they support you or support themselves?"
They were thrown into it headfirst, they and the strayers,
and all of Satan's soldiers.
They said, while they argued therein,
"By God, we have been in clear misguidance
when we equated you with the Lord of the Worlds!
None misled us other than the criminals,
and now we have no intercessors,
nor a close friend.
If only we were allowed to return, we would be among the believers."
Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
The people of Noah denied the messengers
when their brother Noah said to them, "Will you not be reverent?
I am a trustworthy messenger to you,
so reverence God, and obey me.
I do not ask you for a reward for it. My reward comes only from the Lord of the Worlds.
So reverence God, and obey me."
They said, "Are we to believe you when it was the lowest ones who followed you?"
He said, "What knowledge do I have of what they used to do?
Their reckoning rests only with my Lord, were you but aware.
I will not drive away the believers.
I am only a clear warner."
They said, "If you do not refrain, O Noah, you will surely be among those stoned."
He said, "My Lord, my people have denied me.
So make a decisive separation between me and them, and save me and those with me of the believers."
So We saved him and those who were with him on the laden ship.
Then afterwards, We drowned the rest.
Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
Aad denied the messengers
when their brother Hud said to them, "Will you not be reverent?
I am a trustworthy messenger to you,
so reverence God, and obey me.
I do not ask you for a reward for it. My reward comes only from the Lord of the Worlds.
Do you build on every hill a sign just to amuse yourselves?
And you set up great fortresses so that you may become immortal?
And when you strike, you strike like tyrants?
So reverence God, and obey me.
Reverence the One who provided you with what you know.
He provided you with livestock and children,
and gardens and springs.
I fear for you the punishment of a great Day."
They said, "It is all the same for us whether you advise or you are not one of the advisers.
This is nothing but the manners of the previous ones,
and we will not be punished."
So they denied him, and thus We annihilated them. Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
Thamoud denied the messengers
when their brother Saleh said to them, "Will you not be reverent?
I am a trustworthy messenger to you,
so reverence God, and obey me.
I do not ask you for a reward for it. My reward comes only from the Lord of the Worlds.
Do you think you will always be left secure in what is here:
gardens, springs,
crops, palm trees with succulent fruits,
and to carve out homes into the mountains with great skill?
So reverence God, and obey me.
And do not obey the commands of the excessive ones
who corrupt in the earth and do not reform."
They said, "You are but one of the bewitched.
You are nothing other than a human being like us, so produce a miracle if you are of the truthful."
He said, "This is a she-camel. She has her drink, and you have your drink, each on a specified day.
Do not touch her with any harm or else you will be seized by the punishment of a great day."
But they hamstrung her and then became regretful.
So the punishment seized them. Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
The people of Lot denied the messengers
when their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not be reverent?
I am a trustworthy messenger to you,
so reverence God, and obey me.
I do not ask you for a reward for it. My reward comes only from the Lord of the Worlds.
Do you approach the males out of all the people
and leave the wives that your Lord has created for you? Indeed, you are a transgressing people."
They said, "If you do not refrain, O Lot, you will surely be among those banished."
He said, "I am of those who detest what you do.
My Lord, save me and my family from what they are doing."
So We saved him and all his family,
except for an old woman who was one of those who stayed behind.
Then We destroyed the others.
We showered a rain upon them. Miserable was the rain of those who had been warned.
Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
The Companions of the Woods denied the messengers
when Shu'aib said to them, "Will you not be reverent?
I am a trustworthy messenger to you,
so reverence God, and obey me.
I do not ask you for a reward for it. My reward comes only from the Lord of the Worlds.
Give the full measure and do not be of those who skimp.
And weigh with an equitable scale.
And do not deprive the people of what is due to them, and do not act wickedly in the earth spreading corruption.
And reverence the One who created you and the previous generations."
They said, "You are but one of the bewitched.
You are nothing other than a human being like us, and we think you are among the liars.
So make lumps of the sky fall upon us if you are one of the truthful."
He said, "My Lord knows best what you are doing."
They denied him, and thus the punishment of the Day of the Shadow seized them. It was the punishment of a great Day.
Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them are not believers.
And indeed, your Lord is the Dignified, the Merciful.
And indeed, it is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.
The Trustworthy Ruh brought it down
unto your heart so that you would be one of the warners,
in a clear Arabic tongue.
And it is indeed in the Scriptures of the previous ones.
Was it not a sign for them that the knowledgeable among the Children of Israel recognise it?
Had We brought it down to some non-Arabs,
and he had then read it to them, they would not have believed in it.
In the same way, We have inserted it into the hearts of the criminals.
They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.
It will come to them suddenly while they are unaware.
They will then say, "Can we be given respite?"
Or is it Our punishment that they wish to hasten?
Do you see: if We were to grant them enjoyment for years,
then there came to them what they had been promised,
of what avail would the enjoyment they were given be to them?
We have not annihilated any village without it having had warners
and the reminder. We are never unjust.
It was not the devils who brought it down.
It is not for them to do so, nor are they able to.
They are barred from hearing.
So do not call upon another god besides God, or else you will be one of those punished.
And warn your close relatives.
And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.
If they disobey you, then say, "I am innocent of what you do."
And put your trust in the Dignified, the Merciful.
The One who sees you as you rise,
and in your movements among those who prostrate.
Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Knowledgeable.
Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend?
They descend upon every sinful falsifier.
They listen eagerly, but most of them are liars.
As for the poets, it is the strayers who follow them.
Do you not see that they roam in every valley
and that they say what they do not do?
Not so those who believe, do good deeds, remember God frequently, and who defend themselves after they were wronged. As for those who transgressed, they will know what homecoming they will be returned to.