Hizb 14

Only those who listen will respond [to you]. As for the dead, Allah will resurrect them, then they will be brought back to Him.

They say, ‘Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘Allah is indeed able to send down a sign,’ but most of them do not know.

There is no animal on land, nor a bird that flies with its wings, but they are communities like yourselves. We have not omitted anything from the Book. Then they will be mustered toward their Lord.

Those who deny Our signs are deaf and dumb, in a manifold darkness. Allah leads astray whomever He wishes, and whomever He wishes He puts him on a straight path.

Say, ‘Tell me, should Allah’s punishment overtake you, or should the Hour overtake you, will you supplicate anyone other than Allah, should you be truthful?

No, Him you will supplicate, and He will remove that for which you supplicated Him, if He wishes, and you will forget what you ascribe [to Him] as [His] partners.’

We have certainly sent [apostles] to nations before you, then We seized them with stress and distress so that they might entreat [Us].

Why did they not entreat when Our punishment overtook them! But their hearts had hardened, and Satan had made what they had been doing seem decorous to them.

So when they forgot what they had been admonished of, We opened for them the gates of all [good] things. When they became proud of what they were given, We seized them suddenly, whereat, behold, they were despondent.

Thus the wrongdoing lot were rooted out, and all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

Say, ‘Tell me, should Allah take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal on your hearts, which god other than Allah can bring it [back] to you?’ Look, how We paraphrase the signs variously; nevertheless they turn away.

Say, ‘Tell me, should Allah’s punishment overtake you suddenly or visibly, will anyone be destroyed except the wrongdoing lot?’

We do not send the apostles except as bearers of good news and warners. As for those who are faithful and righteous, they will have no fear, nor will they grieve.

But as for those who deny Our signs, the punishment shall befall them because of the transgressions they used to commit.

Say, ‘I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of Allah, nor do I know the Unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I follow only what is revealed to me.’ Say, ‘Are the blind one and the seer equal? So do you not reflect?’

And warn by its means those who fear being mustered toward their Lord, besides whom they shall have neither any guardian nor any intercessor, so that they may be Godwary.

Do not drive away those who supplicate their Lord morning and evening desiring His face. Neither are you accountable for them in any way, nor are they accountable for you in any way, so that you may drive them away and thus become one of the wrongdoers.

Thus do We test them by means of one another so that they should say, ‘Are these the ones whom Allah has favoured from among us?!’ Does not Allah know best the grateful?!

When those who have faith in Our signs come to you, say, ‘Peace to you! Your Lord has made mercy incumbent upon Himself: whoever of you commits an evil [deed] out of ignorance and then repents after that and reforms, then He is indeed all-forgiving, all-merciful.’

Thus do We elaborate the signs, so that the way of the guilty may be exposed.

Say, ‘I have been forbidden to worship those whom you invoke besides Allah.’ Say, ‘I do not follow your desires, for then I will have gone astray, and I will not be among the [rightly] guided.’

Say, ‘Indeed I stand on a manifest proof from my Lord and you have denied it. What you seek to hasten is not up to me. Judgement belongs only to Allah; He expounds the truth and He is the best of judges.’

Say, ‘If what you seek to hasten were with me, the matter would surely have been decided between you and me, and Allah knows best the wrongdoers.’

With Him are the treasures of the Unseen; no one knows them except Him. He knows whatever there is in land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it, nor is there a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or withered but it is in a manifest Book.

It is He who takes your souls by night, and He knows what you do by day, then He reanimates you therein so that a specified term may be completed. Then to Him will be your return, whereat He will inform you concerning what you used to do.

He is the All-dominant over His servants, and He sends guards to [protect] you. When death approaches anyone of you, Our messengers take him away and they do not neglect [their duty].

Then they are returned to Allah, their real master. Look! All judgement belongs to Him, and He is the swiftest of reckoners.

Say, ‘Who delivers you from the darkness of land and sea, [when] You invoke Him suppliantly and secretly: ‘‘If He delivers us from this, we will surely be among the grateful’’?’

Say, ‘It is Allah who delivers you from them and from every agony, [but] then you ascribe partners [to Him].’

Say, ‘He is able to send upon you a punishment from above you or from under your feet, or confound you as [hostile] factions, and make you taste one another’s violence.’ Look, how We paraphrase the signs variously so that they may understand!

Your people have denied it, though it is the truth. Say, ‘It is not my business to watch over you.’

For every prophecy there is a [preordained] setting, and soon you will know.

When you see those who gossip impiously about Our signs, avoid them until they engage in some other discourse; but if Satan makes you forget, then, after remembering, do not sit with the wrongdoing lot.

Those who are Godwary are in no way accountable for them, but this is merely for admonition’s sake, so that they may beware.

Leave alone those who take their religion for play and diversion and whom the life of this world has deceived, and admonish with it, lest any soul should perish because of what it has earned: It shall not have any guardian besides Allah, nor any intercessor; and though it should offer every kind of ransom, it shall not be accepted from it. They are the ones who perish because of what they have earned; they shall have boiling water for drink and a painful punishment because of what they used to defy.

Say, ‘Shall we invoke besides Allah that which can neither benefit us nor harm us, and turn back on our heels after Allah has guided us, like someone seduced by the devils and bewildered on the earth, who has companions that invite him to guidance, [saying,] ‘‘Come to us!’’?’ Say, ‘Indeed it is the guidance of Allah which is [true] guidance. And we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds,

and that ‘‘Maintain the prayer and be wary of Him, and it is He toward whom you will be gathered.’’ ’

It is He who created the heavens and the earth with reason, and the day He says [to something], ‘Be!’ it is. His word is the truth, and to Him belongs all sovereignty on the day when the Trumpet will be blown. Knower of the sensible and the Unseen, He is the All-wise, the All-aware.

When Abraham said to Azar, his father, ‘Do you take idols for gods? Indeed I see you and your people in manifest error.’

Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude.

When night darkened over him, he saw a star and said, ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said, ‘I do not like those who set.’

Then, when he saw the moon rising, he said, ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said, ‘Had my Lord not guided me, I would surely have been among the astray lot.’

Then, when he saw the sun rising, he said, ‘This is my Lord! This is bigger!’ But when it set, he said, ‘O my people, indeed I disown what you take as [His] partners.’

‘Indeed I have turned my face toward Him who originated the heavens and the earth, as a Hanif, and I am not one of the polytheists.’

His people argued with him. He said, ‘Do you argue with me concerning Allah, while He has guided me for certain? I do not fear what you ascribe to Him as [His] partners, excepting anything that my Lord may wish. My Lord embraces all things in [His] knowledge. Will you not then take admonition?

How could I fear what you ascribe [to Him] as [His] partners, when you do not fear ascribing to Allah partners for which He has not sent down any authority to you? So [tell me,] which of the two sides has a greater right to safety, if you know?

Those who have faith and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing—for such there shall be safety, and they are the [rightly] guided.’

This was Our argument that We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in rank whomever We wish. Indeed your Lord is all-wise, all-knowing.

And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided each of them. And Noah We had guided before, and from his offspring, David and Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—thus do We reward the virtuous—

and Zechariah, John, Jesus and Ilyas—each of them among the righteous—

and Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot—each We graced over all the nations—

and from among their fathers, their descendants and brethren—We chose them and guided them to a straight path.

That is Allah’s guidance: with it, He guides whomever He wishes of His servants. But were they to ascribe any partners [to Allah], what they used to do would not avail them.

They are the ones whom We gave the Book, judgement and prophethood. So if these disbelieve in them, We have certainly entrusted them to a people who will never disbelieve in them.

They are the ones whom Allah has guided. So follow their guidance. Say, ‘I do not ask you any recompense for it. It is just an admonition for all the nations.’

They did not regard Allah with the regard due to Him when they said, ‘Allah has not sent down anything to any human.’ Say, ‘Who had sent down the Book that was brought by Moses as a light and guidance for the people, which you make into parchments that you display, while you conceal much of it, and [by means of which] you were taught what you did not know, [neither] you nor your fathers?’ Say, ‘Allah!’ Then leave them to play around in their impious gossip.

Blessed is this Book, which We have sent down, confirming what was [revealed] before it, so that you may warn the Mother of Cities and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are watchful of their prayers.

Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or says, ‘It has been revealed to me,’ while nothing was revealed to him, and he who says, ‘I will bring the like of what Allah has sent down?’ Were you to see when the wrongdoers are in the throes of death, and the angels extend their hands [saying]: ‘Give up your souls! Today you shall be requited with a humiliating punishment because of what you used to attribute to Allah untruly, and for your being disdainful towards His signs.’

‘Certainly you have come to Us alone, just as We created you the first time, and left behind whatever We had bestowed on you. We do not see your intercessors with you—those whom you claimed to be [Our] partners in [deciding] you[r] [fate]. Certainly all links between you have been cut, and what you used to claim has forsaken you!’

Indeed Allah is the splitter of the grain and the pit. He brings forth the living from the dead and He brings forth the dead from the living. That is Allah! Then where do you stray?

Splitter of the dawn, He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for calculation. That is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

It is He who made the stars for you, so that you may be guided by them in the darkness of land and sea. We have certainly elaborated the signs for a people who have knowledge.

It is He who created you from a single soul, then there is the [enduring] abode and the place of temporary lodging. We have certainly elaborated the signs for a people who understand.

It is He who sends down water from the sky, and brings forth with it every kind of growing thing. Then from it We bring forth vegetation from which We produce the grain, in clusters, and from the palm-tree, from the spathes of it, low-hanging clusters [of dates], and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Look at its fruit as it fructifies and ripens. Indeed, there are signs in that for a people who have faith.

They make the jinn partners of Allah, though He has created them, and carve out sons and daughters for Him, without any knowledge. Immaculate is He and exalted above what they allege [concerning Him]!

The originator of the heavens and the earth—how could He have a child when He has had no spouse? He created all things and He has knowledge of all things.

That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god except Him, the creator of all things; so worship Him. He watches over all things.

The sights do not apprehend Him, yet He apprehends the sights, and He is the All-attentive, the All-aware.

[Say,] ‘Certainly insights have come to you from your Lord. So whoever sees, it is to the benefit of his own soul, and whoever remains blind, it is to its detriment, and I am not a keeper over you.’

Thus do We paraphrase the signs variously, lest they should say, ‘You have received instruction,’ and so that We may make it clear for a people who have knowledge.

Follow that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, there is no god except Him, and turn away from the polytheists.

Had Allah wished they would not have ascribed partners [to Him]. We have not made you a caretaker for them, nor is it your duty to watch over them.

Do not abuse those whom they invoke besides Allah, lest they should abuse Allah out of hostility, without any knowledge. That is how to every people We have made their conduct seem decorous. Then their return will be to their Lord and He will inform them concerning what they used to do.

They swear by Allah with solemn oaths that were a sign to come to them they would surely believe in it. Say, ‘These signs are only from Allah,’ and what will bring home to you that they will not believe even if they came?

We transform their hearts and their visions as they did not believe in it the first time, and We leave them bewildered in their rebellion.