Hizb 47

So who is a greater wrongdoer than him who attributes a falsehood to Allah, and denies the truth when it reaches him? Is not the [final] abode of the faithless in hell?

He who brings the truth and he who confirms it—it is they who are the Godwary.

They will have what they wish with their Lord—that is the reward of the virtuous—

that Allah may absolve them of the worst of what they did, and pay them their reward by the best of what they used to do.

Does not Allah suffice [to defend] His servant? They would frighten you of others than Him. Yet whomever Allah leads astray, has no guide,

and whomever Allah guides, there is no one who can lead him astray. Is not Allah an all-mighty avenger?

If you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they will surely say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? Should Allah desire some distress for me, can they remove the distress visited by Him? Or should He desire some mercy for me, can they withhold His mercy?’ Say, ‘Allah is sufficient for me. In Him let all the trusting put their trust.’

Say, ‘O my people! Act according to your ability. I too am acting. Soon you will know

who will be overtaken by a punishment that will disgrace him, and on whom a lasting punishment will descend.’

Indeed We have sent down the Book to you with the truth for [the deliverance of] mankind. So whoever is guided is guided for his own sake, and whoever goes astray, goes astray to his own detriment, and it is not your duty to watch over them.

Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those who have not died, in their sleep. Then He retains those for whom He has ordained death and releases the others until a specified time. There are indeed signs in that for a people who reflect.

Have they taken intercessors besides Allah? Say, ‘What! Even though they do not control anything, and cannot reason?!’

Say, ‘All intercession rests with Allah. To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; then you will be brought back to Him.’

When Allah is mentioned alone, [thereat] shrink away the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter, but when others are mentioned besides Him, behold, they rejoice!

Say, ‘O Allah! Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the sensible and the Unseen, You will judge between Your servants concerning that about which they used to differ.’

Even if the wrongdoers possessed all that is on the earth, and as much of it besides, they would offer it on the Day of Resurrection to redeem themselves with it from a terrible punishment, and there will appear to them from Allah what they had never reckoned.

The evils of what they had earned will appear to them, and they will be besieged by what they used to deride.

When distress befalls man, he supplicates Us. Then, when We grant him a blessing from Us, he says, ‘I was given it by virtue of [my] knowledge.’ Indeed, it is a test, but most of them do not know.

Those who were before them [also] said that, but what they used to earn did not avail them.

So the evils of what they had earned visited them, and as for the wrongdoers among these, the evils of what they earn shall be visited on them and they will not frustrate [Allah].

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

Say [that Allah declares,] ‘O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah will forgive all sins. Indeed, He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful.

Turn penitently to Him and submit to Him before the punishment overtakes you, whereupon you will not be helped.

Follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment overtakes you suddenly while you are unaware.’

Lest anyone should say, ‘Alas for my negligence in the vicinage of Allah! Indeed I was among those who ridiculed.’

Or say, ‘Had Allah guided me I would have surely been among the Godwary!’

Or say, when he sights the punishment, ‘If only there were a second chance for me, I would be among the virtuous!’

[They will be told,] ‘Yes, My signs certainly came to you, but you denied them and acted arrogantly and you were among the faithless.’

On the Day of Resurrection you will see those who attributed lies to Allah with their faces blackened. Is not the [final] abode of the arrogant in hell?

Allah will deliver those who were Godwary with their salvation. No ill shall touch them, nor will they grieve.

Allah is creator of all things, and He watches over all things.

To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth, and those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah—it is they who are the losers.

Say, ‘Will you, then, bid me to worship other than Allah, O you ignorant ones?!’

Certainly it has been revealed to you and to those [who have been] before you: ‘If you ascribe a partner to Allah your works shall fail and you shall surely be among the losers.

No, worship Allah, and be among the grateful!’

They do not regard Allah with the regard due to Him, yet the entire earth will be in His fist on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens, scrolled, in His right hand. Immaculate is He and exalted above [having] any partners that they ascribe [to Him].

And the Trumpet will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens will swoon and whoever is on the earth, except whomever Allah wishes. Then it will be blown a second time, behold, they will rise up, looking on!

The earth will glow with the light of her Lord, and the Book will be set up, and the prophets and the martyrs will be brought, and judgment will be made between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.

Every soul will be recompensed fully for what it has done, and He is best aware of what they do.

The faithless will be driven to hell in throngs. When they reach it and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, ‘Did there not come to you [any] apostles from among yourselves, reciting to you the signs of your Lord and warning you of the encounter of this day of yours?’ They will say, ‘Yes, but the word of punishment became due against the faithless.’

It will be said, ‘Enter the gates of hell to remain in it [forever]. Evil is the [ultimate] abode of the arrogant.’

Those who are wary of their Lord will be led to paradise in throngs. When they reach it and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, ‘Peace be to you! You are welcome! Enter it to remain [forever].’

They will say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us inheritors of the earth, that we may settle in paradise wherever we may wish!’ How excellent is the reward of the workers [of righteousness]!

And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne, celebrating the praise of their Lord, and judgment will be made between them with justice, and it will be said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!’

Ha, Meem.

The [gradual] sending down of the Book is from Allah, the All-mighty, the All-knowing,

forgiver of sins and acceptor of repentance, severe in retribution, [yet] all-bountiful; there is no god except Him, [and] toward Him is the destination.

No one disputes the signs of Allah except the faithless. So do not be misled by their bustle in the towns.

The people of Noah denied before them and the [heathen] factions [who came] after them. Every nation attempted to lay hands on their apostle, and disputed erroneously to refute the truth. Then I seized them; so how was My retribution?!

That is how the word of your Lord became due concerning the faithless, that they shall be inmates of the Fire.

Those who bear the Throne, and those who are around it, celebrate the praise of their Lord and have faith in Him, and they plead for forgiveness for the faithful: ‘Our Lord! You embrace all things in mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Your way and save them from the punishment of hell.

Our Lord! Admit them into the Gardens of Eden, which You have promised them, along with whoever is righteous among their forebears, their spouses and their descendants. Indeed You are the All-mighty, the All-wise.

Save them from the ills [of the Day of Retribution]; and whomever You save from the ills that day, You will have had mercy upon him, and that is the great triumph.’

It will be proclaimed to the faithless: ‘Surely, Allah’s outrage [towards you] is greater than your outrage towards yourselves, as you were invited to faith, but you disbelieved.’

They will say, ‘Our Lord! Twice did You make us die, and twice did You give us life. We admit our sins. Is there any way out [from this plight]?’

[They will be told,] ‘This [plight of yours] is because, when Allah was invoked alone, you would disbelieve, but if partners were ascribed to Him you would believe. So the judgment belongs to Allah, the All-exalted, the All-great.’

It is He who shows you His signs and sends down provision for you from the sky. Yet no one takes admonition except those who return penitently [to Allah].

So supplicate Allah, putting exclusive faith in Him, though the faithless should be averse.

Raiser of ranks, Lord of the Throne, He casts the Spirit of His command upon whomever of His servants that He wishes, that he may warn [people] of the Day of Encounter.

The day when they will emerge [from their graves], nothing about them will be hidden from Allah. ‘To whom does the sovereignty belong today?’ ‘To Allah, the One, the All-paramount!’

‘Today every soul shall be requited for what it has earned. There will be no injustice today. Indeed Allah is swift at reckoning.’

Warn them of the Approaching Day, when the hearts will be at the throats, choking with suppressed agony, [and] the wrongdoers will have no sympathizer, nor any intercessor who might be heard.

He knows the treachery of the eyes, and what the breasts hide.

Allah judges with justice, while those whom they invoke besides Him do not judge by anything. Indeed it is Allah who is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.

Have they not travelled through the land so that they may observe how was the fate of those who were before them? They were greater than them in might and with respect to the effects [they left] in the land. But then Allah seized them for their sins, and they had no defender against Allah [’s punishment].

That was because their apostles used to bring them manifest proofs, but they defied [them]. So Allah seized them. Indeed He is all-strong, severe in retribution.

Certainly We sent Moses with Our signs and a manifest authority

to Pharaoh, Haman and Korah, but they said, ‘A magician and a mendacious liar.’

So when he brought them the truth from Us, they said, ‘Kill the sons of the faithful who are with him, and spare their women.’ But the stratagems of the faithless only go awry.

And Pharaoh said, ‘Let me slay Moses, and let him invoke his Lord. Indeed I fear that he will change your religion, or bring forth corruption in our land.’

Moses said, ‘I seek the protection of my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant one who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.’

Said a man of faith from Pharaoh’s clan, who concealed his faith, ‘Will you kill a man for saying, ‘‘My Lord is Allah,’’ while he has already brought you manifest proofs from your Lord? Should he be lying, his falsehood will be to his own detriment; but if he is truthful, there shall visit you some of what he promises you. Indeed Allah does not guide someone who is a transgressor and liar.

O my people! Today sovereignty belongs to you, and you are dominant in the land. But who will save us from Allah’s punishment should it overtake us?’ Pharaoh said, ‘I just point out to you what I see [to be advisable for you], and I guide you only to the way of rectitude.’

He who had faith said, ‘O my people! Indeed I fear for you [a day] like the day of the [heathen] factions;

like the case of the people of Noah, of Ad and Thamud, and those who came after them, and Allah does not desire any wrong for [His] servants.

O my people! I fear for you a day of mutual distress calls,

a day when you will turn back [to flee], not having anyone to protect you from Allah, and whomever Allah leads astray has no guide.

Certainly Joseph brought you manifest proofs earlier, but you continued to remain in doubt concerning what he had brought you. When he died, you said, ‘‘Allah will never send any apostle after him.’’ That is how Allah leads astray those who are unrestrained and skeptical.

Those who dispute the signs of Allah without any authority that may have come to them—[that is] greatly outrageous to Allah and to those who have faith. That is how Allah seals the heart of every arrogant tyrant.’

Pharaoh said, ‘O Haman! Build me a tower so that I may reach the routes

—the routes of the heavens—and take a look at the God of Moses, and indeed I consider him a liar.’ The evil of his conduct was thus presented as decorous to Pharaoh, and he was kept from the way [of Allah]. Pharaoh’s stratagems only led him into ruin.

And he who had faith said, ‘O my people! Follow me; I will guide you to the way of rectitude.

O my people! This life of the world is only a [passing] enjoyment, and indeed the Hereafter is the abiding home.

Whoever commits a misdeed shall not be requited except with its like, but whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, should he be faithful—such shall enter paradise, and they will be provided therein without any reckoning.