By those drawn up in ranks,
and by the warners crying warning,
and by the reciters of the Reminder:
your God is One:
Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them; Lord of the Easts.
We have adorned the lowest heaven with the beauty of the planets
and guarded it against every defiant shaytan.
They cannot eavesdrop on the Highest Assembly and they are stoned from every side,
repelled with harshness — they will suffer eternal punishment —
except for him who snatches a snippet and then is pursued by a piercing flame.
Ask them for a fatwa: is it they who are stronger in structure or other things We have created? We created them from sticky clay.
No wonder you are surprised as they laugh with scorn!
When they are reminded they do not pay heed.
When they see a Sign they only laugh with scorn.
They say, ´This is just downright magic.
When we are dead and turned to dust and bones will we then be raised up again alive?
And our earlier ancestors as well?´
Say: ´Yes, and you will be in a despicable state.´
There will be but one Great Blast and then their eyes will open.
They will say, ´Alas for us! This is the Day of Reckoning!´
This is the Day of Decision you used to deny.
Assemble those who did wrong together with their associates and what they worshipped
besides Allah, and guide them to the Path of the Blazing Fire!
And call them to a halt. They will be asked:
´Why are you not helping one another?´
No, today they come in absolute submission.
They will confront each other, questioning one another.
One group will say, ´You used to come at us from a position of power.´
The others will say, ´The truth is that you were not muminun.
We had no authority over you. Rather you were unbridled people.
Our Lord´s Word has been carried out against us, that we would taste it.
We misled you and we were ourselves misled.´
On that Day they will be partners in the punishment.
That is how We deal with evildoers.
When they were told, ´There is no god but Allah,´ they were arrogant.
They said, ´Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?´
Rather he has brought the truth and confirmed the Messengers.
You will definitely taste the painful punishment
and you will only be repaid for what you did —
except for Allah´s chosen slaves.
They will have preordained provision:
sweet fruits and high honour
in Gardens of Delight
on couches face to face;
a cup from a flowing spring passing round among them,
as white as driven snow, delicious to those who drink,
which has no headache in it and does not leave them stupefied.
There will be dark-eyed maidens with them, with eyes reserved for them alone,
just like closely guarded pearls.
They will confront each other, questioning one another.
One of them will say, ´I used to have a friend
who would say to me, "Are you one of those who say that it is true:
that when we have died and are turned to dust and bones, we will face a Reckoning?"´
He will say, ´Are you looking down?´
So he will look down and see him in the midst of the Blazing Fire
and say, ´By Allah, you almost ruined me!
If it were not for the blessing of my Lord, I would have been among those arraigned.
Are we not going to die,
except for our first death? Are we not going to be punished?
Truly this is the Great Victory!
It is for the like of this that all workers should work!´
Is that better by way of hospitality or the tree of Zaqqum
which We have made to be an ordeal for the wrongdoers?
It is a tree that emerges in the depths of the Blazing Fire.
Its fruits are just like the heads of shaytans.
They will eat from it and fill their bellies with it.
Then they will have a boiling brew to drink on top of it.
Then their destination will be the Blazing Fire.
They found their fathers misguided
and they are following hard upon their heels.
Most of the earlier peoples went astray before them
though We sent warners to them.
See the final fate of those who were warned —
except for Allah´s chosen slaves.
Nuh called out to Us and what an excellent Responder We are!
We rescued him and his family from the terrible plight
and made his descendants the survivors;
and We left the later people to say of him:
´Peace be upon Nuh among all beings!´
That is how we recompense the good-doers.
He truly was one of Our slaves who are muminun.
Then We drowned the rest.
One of his followers in iman was Ibrahim
when he came to his Lord with an unblemished heart,
and said to his father and his people, ´What are you worshipping?
Is it falsehood — gods besides Allah — that you desire?
So what are your thoughts about the Lord of all the worlds?´
He took a look at the stars
and said, ´I am sick.´
So they turned their backs on him.
He turned surreptitiously to their gods and said, ´Do you not eat?
What is the matter with you that you do not speak?´
He turned on them, striking out with his right hand.
They came rushing back to him.
He said, ´Do you worship something you have carved
when Allah created both you and what you do?´
They said, ´Build a pyre for him and fling him into the blaze!´
They tried to outwit him but We made them the lowest.
He said, ´I am going towards my Lord; He will be my guide.
My Lord, bestow on me a right-acting child!´
And We gave him the good news of a forbearing boy.
When he was of an age to work with him, he said, ´My son, I saw in a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think about this?´ He said, ´Do as you are ordered, father. Allah willing, you will find me resolute.´
Then when they had both submitted and he had lain him face down on the ground,
We called out to him, ´Ibrahim!
you have discharged your vision.´ That is how We recompense good-doers.
This was indeed a most manifest trial.
We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice
and left the later people saying of him:
´Peace be upon Ibrahim.´
That is how We recompense good-doers.
He truly was one of Our mumin slaves.
We gave him the good news of Ishaq, a Prophet, one of the righteous.
We showered blessings upon him and upon Ishaq. Among their descendants are good-doers and also people who clearly wrong themselves.
We showed great kindness to Musa and Harun.
We rescued them and their people from their terrible plight.
We supported them and so they were the victors.
We gave them the clarifying Book
and guided them on the Straight Path,
and left the later people saying of them,
´Peace be upon Musa and Harun!´
That is how We recompense good-doers.
They truly were among Our slaves who are muminun.
Ilyas was one of the Messengers.
When he said to his people, ´Will you not have taqwa?
Do you call on Baal and abandon the Best of Creators?
Allah is your Lord and Lord of your forefathers, the previous peoples,´
they denied him and so they will be among those arraigned —
except for Allah´s chosen slaves.
We left the later people saying of him,
´Peace be upon the family of Yasin!´
That is how We recompense good-doers.
He truly was one of Our slaves who are muminun.
And Lut was one of the Messengers.
When We rescued him and all his family —
except an old woman among those who stayed behind.
Then We utterly destroyed the rest.
And you pass by them in the daytime and at night.
So will you not use your intellect?
Yunus too was one of the Messengers.
When he ran away to the fully laden ship
and cast lots and lost.
Then the fish devoured him and he was to blame.
Had it not been that he was a man who glorified Allah,
he would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are raised again.
So We cast him up onto the beach and he was sick;
and We caused a gourd tree to grow over him.
We sent him to a hundred thousand or even more.
They had iman and so We gave them enjoyment for a time.
Ask them for a fatwa: does your Lord have daughters while they themselves have sons?
Or did We create the angels female, with them as witnesses?
No indeed, it is one of their blatant lies to say,
´Allah has given birth´. They are truly liars.
Has He chosen daughters over sons?
What is the matter with you? How do you reach your judgement?
Will you not pay heed?
Or do you have some clear authority?
Bring your Book, then, if you are telling the truth!
They claim there is a blood-tie between Him and the jinn but the jinn know very well that they will be arraigned.
Glory be to Allah above what they describe —
except for Allah´s chosen slaves.
You and those you worship:
you will entice no one to them
except for him who is to roast in the Blazing Fire.
´There is not one of us who does not have a known station.
We are those drawn up in ranks.
We are those who glorify.´
They used to say,
´If we had only had a Reminder from the previous peoples,
we would certainly have been sincere slaves of Allah!´
But they have rejected it and they will soon know!
Our Word was given before to Our slaves, the Messengers,
that they would certainly be helped.
It is Our army which will be victorious.
Therefore turn from them for a time.
And watch them, for they will soon see!
Are they trying to hasten Our punishment?
When it descends in their courtyard — how evil will be the morning of those who were warned!
Therefore turn from them for a time.
And watch, for they will soon see!
Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, beyond anything they describe.
And peace be upon the Messengers.
And praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!