Hizb 41

Do not argue with the People of the Book except in a manner which is best, except such of them as are wrongdoers, and say, ‘We believe in what has been sent down to us and in what has been sent down to you; our God and your God is one [and the same], and to Him do we submit.’

Thus We have sent down the Book to you; those to whom We have given the Book believe in it, and of these there are some who believe in it, and none contests Our signs except the faithless.

You did not use to recite any scripture before it, nor did you write it with your right hand, for then the impugners would have been skeptical.

Indeed, it is [present as] manifest signs in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge, and none contests Our signs except wrongdoers.

They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘These signs are only from Allah, and I am only a manifest warner.’

Does it not suffice them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them? There is indeed in that a mercy and admonition for a people who have faith.

Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you: He knows whatever there is in the heavens and the earth. Those who put faith in falsehood and defy Allah—it is they who are the losers.’

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Yet were it not for a specified time, the punishment would have surely overtaken them. Surely, it will overtake them suddenly while they are unaware.

They ask you to hasten the punishment, and indeed hell will besiege the faithless

on the day when the punishment envelopes them, from above them and from under their feet, and He will say, ‘Taste what you used to do!’

O My servants who have faith! My earth is indeed vast. So worship [only] Me.

Every soul shall taste death. Then you shall be brought back to Us.

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, We will surely settle them in the lofty abodes of paradise, with streams running in them, to remain in them [forever]. How excellent is the reward of the workers!

—Those who are patient and who put their trust in their Lord.

How many an animal there is that does not carry its own provision. Allah provides them and you, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

If you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth, and who has disposed the sun and the moon?’ They will surely say, ‘Allah.’ Then where do they stray?

Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes of His servants, and tightens it for him. Indeed Allah has knowledge of all things.

And if you ask them, ‘Who sends down water from the sky, with which He revives the earth after its death?’ They will surely say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah!’ But most of them do not exercise their reason.

The life of this world is nothing but diversion and play, but the abode of the Hereafter is indeed Life (itself), had they known!

When they board the ship, they invoke Allah putting exclusive faith in Him, but when He delivers them to land, behold, they ascribe partners [to Him],

being ungrateful for what We have given them! Let them enjoy. Soon they will know!

Have they not seen that We have appointed a safe sanctuary, while the people are despoiled all around them? Would they then believe in falsehood and be ungrateful toward the blessing of Allah?

Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is not the [final] abode of the faithless in hell?

As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in Our ways, and Allah is indeed with the virtuous.

Alif, Lam, Meem.

The Byzantines has been vanquished

in a nearby land, but they, after their defeat, will be victorious

in a few years. All command belongs to Allah, before this and hereafter, and on that day the faithful will rejoice

at Allah’s help. He helps whomever He wishes, and He is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

[This is] a promise of Allah: Allah does not break His promise, but most people do not know.

They know just an outward aspect of the life of the world, but they are oblivious of the Hereafter.

Have they not reflected in their own souls? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them except with consummate wisdom and for a specified term. Indeed many people disbelieve in the encounter with their Lord.

Have they not travelled in the land and seen how was the fate of those who were before them? They were more powerful than them, and they plowed the earth and developed it more than they have developed it. Their apostles brought them manifest proofs. So it was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.

Then the fate of those who committed misdeeds was that they denied the signs of Allah and they used to deride them.

Allah originates the creation, then He will bring it back, then you will be brought back to Him.

And when the Hour sets in, the guilty will despair.

None of those whom they ascribed as partners [to Allah] will intercede for them, and they will disavow their partners.

The day the Hour sets in, they will be divided on that day [in separate groups]:

As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, they shall be in a garden, rejoicing.

But as for those who were faithless and denied Our signs and the encounter of the Hereafter, they will be brought to the punishment.

So glorify Allah when you enter evening and when you rise at dawn.

To Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth, at nightfall and when you enter noontime.

He brings forth the living from the dead, and brings forth the dead from the living, and revives the earth after its death. Likewise, you [too] shall be raised [from the dead].

Of His signs is that He created you from dust, then, behold, you are humans scattering [all over]!

And of His signs is that He created for you mates from your own selves that you may take comfort in them, and He ordained affection and mercy between you. There are indeed signs in that for a people who reflect.

Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. There are indeed signs in that for those who know.

And of His signs is your sleep by night and day, and your pursuit of His bounty. There are indeed signs in that for a people who listen.

And of His signs is that He shows you the lightning, arousing fear and hope, and He sends down water from the sky, and with it revives the earth after its death. There are indeed signs in that for people who exercise their reason.

And of His signs is that the sky and the earth stand by His command, and then, when He calls you forth from the earth, behold, you will come forth.

To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him.

It is He who originates the creation, and then He will bring it back—and that is more simple for Him. His is the loftiest description in the heavens and the earth, and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.

He draws for you an example from yourselves: Do you have among your slaves any partners [who may share] in what We have provided you, so that you are equal in its respect, and you revere them as you revere one another? Thus do We elaborate the signs for people who exercise their reason.

Indeed, the wrongdoers follow their own desires without any knowledge. So who will guide those whom Allah has led astray? They will have no helpers.

So set your heart as a person of pure faith on this religion, the original nature endowed by Allah according to which He originated mankind (There is no altering Allah’s creation; that is the upright religion, but most people do not know.)

—turning to Him in penitence, and be wary of Him, and maintain the prayer, and do not be one of the polytheists

—those who split up their religion and became sects: each faction boasting about what it possessed.

When distress befalls people, they supplicate their Lord, turning to Him in penitence. Then, when He lets them taste His mercy, behold, a part of them ascribe partners to their Lord,

being ungrateful toward what We have given them. So let them enjoy. Soon they will know!

Have We sent down to them any authority which might assert what they associate with Him?

When We let people taste [Our] mercy, they boast about it; but should an ill visit them because of what their hands have sent ahead, behold, they become despondent!

Do they not see that Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes, and tightens it? There are indeed signs in that for a people who have faith.

Give the relative his due, and the needy and the traveller [as well]. That is better for those who seek Allah’s pleasure, and it is they who are the felicitous.

What you give in usury in order that it may increase people’s wealth does not increase with Allah. But what you pay as zakat seeking Allah’s pleasure—it is they who will be given a manifold increase.

It is Allah who created you and then He provided for you, then He makes you die, then He will bring you to life. Is there anyone among your ‘partners’ who does anything of that kind? Immaculate is He and exalted above [having] any partners that they ascribe [to Him]!

Corruption has appeared in land and sea because of the doings of the people’s hands, that He may make them taste something of what they have done, so that they may come back.

Say, ‘Travel over the land, and see how was the fate of those who were before [you], most of whom were polytheists.’

So set your heart on the upright religion, before there comes a day irrevocable from Allah. On that day they shall be split [into various groups].

Whoever is faithless shall face the consequences of his faithlessness, and those who act righteously only prepare for their own souls,

so that He may reward those who have faith and do righteous deeds out of His grace. Indeed, He does not like the faithless.

And of His signs is that He sends the winds as bearers of good news and to let you taste of His mercy, and that the ships may sail by His command, and that you may seek of His bounty, and so that you may give [Him] thanks.

Certainly We sent apostles to their people before you, and they brought them manifest proofs. Then We took vengeance upon those who were guilty, and it was a must for Us to help the faithful.

It is Allah who sends the winds. Then they generate a cloud, then He spreads it as He wishes in the sky, and forms it into fragments, whereat you see the rain issuing from its midst. Then, when He strikes with it whomever of His servants that He wishes, behold, they rejoice;

and indeed they had been despondent earlier, before it was sent down upon them.

So observe the effects of Allah’s mercy: how He revives the earth after its death! Indeed He is the reviver of the dead, and He has power over all things.

And if We send a wind and they see it turn yellow, they will surely become ungrateful after that.

Indeed you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs [upon you],

nor can you lead the blind out of their error. You can make only those hear who have faith in Our signs and have submitted.

It is Allah who created you from [a state of] weakness, then He gave you power after weakness. Then, after power, He ordained weakness and old age: He creates whatever He wishes, and He is the All-knowing, the All-powerful.

On the day when the Hour sets in, the guilty will swear that they had remained only for an hour. That is how they were used to lying [in the world].

But those who were given knowledge and faith will say, ‘Certainly you remained in Allah’s Book until the Day of Resurrection. This is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know.’

On that day, the excuses of the wrongdoers will not benefit them, nor will they be asked to propitiate [Allah].

Certainly we have drawn for mankind in this Quran every [kind of] parable. Indeed if you bring them a sign, the faithless will surely say, ‘You are nothing but fabricators!’

Thus does Allah seal the hearts of those who do not know.

So be patient! Allah’s promise is indeed true. And do not let yourself be upset by those who have no conviction.

Alif, Lam, Meem.

These are the signs of the wise Book,

a guidance and mercy for the virtuous,

who maintain the prayer, pay the zakat, and are certain of the Hereafter.

Those follow their Lord’s guidance, and it is they who are the felicitous.

Among the people is he who buys diversionary talk that he may lead [people] astray from Allah’s way without any knowledge, and he takes it in derision. For such there is a humiliating punishment.

When Our signs are recited to him he turns away disdainfully, as if he had not heard them [at all], as if there were a deafness in his ears. So inform him of a painful punishment.

As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, for them will be gardens of bliss,

to remain in them [forever]—a true promise of Allah, and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.

He created the heavens without any pillars that you may see, and cast firm mountains in the earth lest it should shake with you, and He has scattered in it every kind of animal. And We sent down water from the sky and caused every splendid kind [of plant] to grow in it.

This is the creation of Allah. Now show Me what others besides Him have created. Indeed, the wrongdoers are in manifest error!

Certainly We gave Luqman wisdom, saying, ‘Give thanks to Allah; and whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful, [let him know that] Allah is indeed all-sufficient, all-laudable.’

When Luqman said to his son, as he advised him: ‘O my son! Do not ascribe any partners to Allah. Polytheism is indeed a great injustice.’

We have enjoined man concerning his parents: His mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years. Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the return.

But if they urge you to ascribe to Me as partner that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. Keep their company honourably in this world and follow the way of those who turn to Me penitently. Then to Me will be your return, whereat I will inform you concerning what you used to do.

‘O my son! Even if it should be the weight of a mustard seed, and [even though] it should be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will produce it. Indeed Allah is all-attentive, all-aware.

O my son! Maintain the prayer and bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and be patient through whatever may befall you. That is indeed the steadiest of courses.

Do not turn your cheek away disdainfully from the people, and do not walk exultantly on the earth. Indeed Allah does not like any swaggering braggart.

Be modest in your bearing, and lower your voice. Indeed the ungainliest of voices is the donkey’s voice.’

Do you not see that Allah has disposed for you whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth and He has showered upon you His blessings, the outward, and the inward? Yet among the people are those who dispute concerning Allah without any knowledge or guidance or an illuminating scripture.

When they are told, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down,’ they say, ‘No, we will follow what we found our fathers following.’ What! Even if Satan be calling them to the punishment of the Blaze?