Juz 19

Those who do not expect to encounter Us say, ‘Why have angels not been sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?’ Certainly, they are full of arrogance within their souls and have become terribly defiant.

The day they will see the angels, there will be no good news for the guilty on that day, and they will say, ‘Keep off [from paradise]!’

Then We shall attend to the works they have done and then turn them into scattered dust.

On that day the inhabitants of paradise will be in the best abode and an excellent resting place.

The day when the sky with its clouds will be split open, and the angels will be sent down [in a majestic] descent,

on that day true sovereignty will belong to the All-beneficent, and it will be a hard day for the faithless.

It will be a day when the wrongdoer will bite his hands, saying, ‘I wish I had followed the Apostle’s way!

Woe to me! I wish I had not taken so and so as a friend!

Certainly he led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me, and Satan is a deserter of man.’

And the Apostle will say, ‘O my Lord! Indeed my people consigned this Quran to oblivion.’

That is how for every prophet We assigned an enemy from among the guilty, and your Lord suffices as helper and guide.

The faithless say, ‘Why has not the Quran been sent down to him all at once?’ So it was, that We may strengthen your heart with it, and We have recited it [to you] in a measured tone.

They do not bring you any representation but that We bring you the truth [in reply to them] and the best exposition.

Those who will be mustered [fallen] on their faces toward hell, they are the worse situated and further astray from the [right] way.

Certainly We gave Moses the Book and We made Aaron, his brother, accompany him as a minister.

Then We said, ‘Let the two of you go to the people who have denied Our signs.’ Then We destroyed them utterly.

And Noah’s people, We drowned them when they impugned the apostles, and We made them a sign for mankind, and We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment.

And ‘Ad and Thamud, and the people of Rass, and many generations between them.

For each of them We drew examples, and each We destroyed utterly.

Certainly they must have passed the town on which an evil shower was rained. Have they not seen it? Rather, they did not expect resurrection [to happen].

When they see you they just take you in derision: ‘Is this the one whom Allah has sent as an apostle!?

Indeed he was about to lead us astray from our gods, had we not stood firm by them.’ Soon they will know, when they sight the punishment, who is further astray from the [right] way.

Have you seen him who has taken his desire to be his god? Is it your duty to watch over him?

Do you suppose that most of them listen or exercise their reason? They are just like cattle; indeed, they are further astray from the way.

Have you not regarded how your Lord spreads the twilight? (Had He wished He would have made it stand still.) Then We made the sun a beacon for it.

Then We retract it toward Ourselves, with a gentle retracting.

It is He who made for you the night as a covering and sleep for rest and He made the day a recall to life.

And it is He who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy, and We send down from the sky purifying water,

with which We revive a dead country and provide water to many of the cattle and humans We have created.

Certainly We distribute it among them so that they may take admonition. But most people are only intent on ingratitude.

Had We wished, We would have sent a warner to every town.

So do not obey the faithless, but wage a great jihad against them with it.

It is He who merged the two seas: this one sweet and agreeable, and that one briny and bitter, and between the two He set a barrier and a forbidding hindrance.

It is He who created the human being from water, then invested him with ties of blood and marriage, and your Lord is all-powerful.

They worship besides Allah that which neither brings them any benefit nor causes them any harm, and the faithless one is ever an abettor against his Lord.

We did not send you except as a bearer of good news and as a warner.

Say, ‘I do not ask you any reward for it, except that anyone who wishes should take the way to his Lord.’

Put your trust in the Living One who does not die, and celebrate His praise. He suffices as one all-aware of the sins of His servants.

He, who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days, and then settled on the Throne, the All-beneficent; so ask someone who is well aware about Him.

When they are told: ‘Prostrate yourselves before the All-beneficent,’ they say, ‘What is ‘‘the All-beneficent’’? Shall we prostrate ourselves before whatever you bid us?’ And it increases their aversion.

Blessed is He who appointed houses in the sky and set in it a lamp and a shining moon.

It is He who made the night and the day alternate for someone who desires to take admonition, or desires to give thanks.

The servants of the All-beneficent are those who walk humbly on the earth, and when the ignorant address them, say, ‘Peace!’

Those who spend the night for their Lord, prostrating and standing [in worship].

Those who say, ‘Our Lord! Turn away from us the punishment of hell. Indeed its punishment is enduring.

Indeed it is an evil station and abode.’

Those who are neither wasteful nor tightfisted when spending, but balanced between these [two extremes].

Those who do not invoke another deity besides Allah, and do not kill a soul [whose life] Allah has made inviolable, except with due cause, and do not commit fornication. (Whoever does that shall encounter its retribution,

the punishment being doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection. In it he will abide in humiliation forever,

except those who repent, attain faith, and act righteously. For such, Allah will replace their misdeeds with good deeds, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.

And whoever repents and acts righteously indeed turns to Allah with due penitence).

Those who do not give false testimony, and when they come upon frivolity, pass by with dignity.

Those who, when reminded of the signs of their Lord, do not turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to them.

And those who say, ‘Our Lord! Give us joy and comfort in our spouses and offspring, and make us imams of the Godwary.’

Those shall be rewarded with sublime abodes for their patience and steadfastness, and they shall be met there with greetings and ‘Peace,’

to abide in them [forever], an excellent station and abode.

Say, ‘Were it not for the sake of summoning you [to faith], what store my Lord would have set by you? But you impugned [me and my summons], so it will soon follow as a result.’

Ta, Seen, Meem.

These are the signs of the Manifest Book.

You are liable to imperil your life [out of distress] that they will not have faith.

If We wish We will send down to them a sign from the sky before which their heads will remain bowed in humility.

There does not come to them any new reminder from the All-beneficent but that they disregard it.

They have already denied [the truth], but soon there will come to them the news of what they have been deriding.

Have they not regarded the earth, how many of every splendid kind [of vegetation] We have caused to grow in it?

There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

When your Lord called out to Moses: [saying,] ‘Go to those wrongdoing people,

the people of Pharaoh. Will they not be wary [of Allah]?’

He said, ‘My Lord! I fear they will impugn me,

and I will become upset and my tongue will fail me. So send for Aaron [to join me].

Besides, they have a charge against me, and I fear they will kill me.’

He said, ‘Certainly not! Let both of you go with Our signs: We will indeed be with you, hearing [everything].

So approach Pharaoh and say, ‘‘We are indeed envoys of the Lord of the worlds

that you let the Children of Israel leave with us.’’ ’

He [i.e. Pharaoh] said, ‘Did we not rear you as a child among us, and did you not stay with us for years of your life?

Then you committed that deed of yours, and you are an ingrate.’

He said, ‘I did that when I was astray.

So I fled from you, as I was afraid of you. Then my Lord gave me sound judgement and made me one of the apostles.

That you have enslaved the Children of Israel—is that the favour with which you reproach me?’

He said, ‘And what is ‘‘the Lord of all the worlds?’’ ’

He said, ‘The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them,—should you have conviction.’

He said to those who were around him, ‘Don’t you hear?!’

He said, ‘Your Lord, and the Lord of your forefathers!’

He said, ‘Indeed your messenger, who has been sent to you, is surely crazy!’

He said, ‘The Lord of the east and the west and whatever is between them—should you exercise your reason.’

He said, ‘If you take up any god other than me, I will surely make you a prisoner!’

He said, ‘What if I bring you something [as an] unmistakable [proof]?’

He said, ‘Then bring it, should you be truthful.’

Thereat he threw down his staff, and behold, it was a manifest python.

Then he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white and bright to the onlookers.

He said to the elite [who stood] around him, ‘This is indeed an expert magician

who seeks to expel you from your land with his magic. So what do you advise?’

They said, ‘Put him and his brother off for a while, and send heralds to the cities

to bring you every expert magician.’

So the magicians were gathered for the tryst of a known day,

and the people were told: ‘Will you all gather?!’

‘Maybe we will follow the magicians, if they are victors!’

So when the magicians came, they said to Pharaoh, ‘Shall we have a reward if we were to be the victors?’

He said, ‘Of course; and you will be among members of my inner circle.’

Moses said to them, ‘Throw down whatever you have to throw!’

So they threw down their sticks and ropes, and said, ‘By the might of Pharaoh, we shall surely be victorious!’

Thereat Moses threw down his staff, and behold, it was swallowing what they had faked.

Thereat the magicians fell down prostrating.

They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of all the worlds,

the Lord of Moses and Aaron.’

He [i.e. Pharaoh] said, ‘Do you profess faith in Him before I should permit you? He is indeed your chief who has taught you magic! Soon you will know! I will cut off your hands and feet from opposite sides, and I will crucify you all.’

They said, ‘[There is] no harm [in that]! Indeed, we shall return to our Lord.

Indeed we hope our Lord will forgive us our offences for being the first to believe.’

Then We revealed to Moses, [saying],‘Set out with My servants at night, for you will be pursued.’

Then Pharaoh sent heralds to the cities,

[proclaiming:] ‘These are indeed a small band.

They have aroused our wrath,

and we are alert and fully prepared.’

So We took them out of gardens and springs,

and [made them leave behind] treasures and stately homes.

So it was; and We bequeathed them to the Children of Israel.

Then they pursued them at sunrise.

When the two hosts sighted each other, the companions of Moses said, ‘Indeed we have been caught up.’

He said, ‘Certainly not! Indeed my Lord is with me. He will guide me.’

Thereupon We revealed to Moses: ‘Strike the sea with your staff!’ Whereupon it parted, and each part was as if it were a great mountain.

There, We brought the others near,

and We delivered Moses and all those who were with him.

Then We drowned the rest.

There is indeed a sign in that, but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

Relate to them the account of Abraham

when he said to his father and his people, ‘What is it that you are worshiping?!’

They said, ‘We worship idols, and are constant in our devotion to them.’

He said, ‘Do they hear you when you call them?

Or do they bring you any benefit, or cause you any harm?’

They said, ‘Indeed, we found our fathers doing likewise.’

He said, ‘Have you regarded what you have been worshipping,

you and your ancestors?

They are indeed enemies to me, but the Lord of all the worlds,

who created me, it is He who guides me,

and provides me with food and drink,

and when I get sick, it is He who cures me;

who will make me die, then He will bring me to life,

and who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of Retribution.’

‘My Lord! Grant me [unerring] judgement, and unite me with the Righteous.

Confer on me a worthy repute among the posterity,

and make me one of the heirs to the paradise of bliss.

Forgive my father, for he is one of those who are astray.

Do not disgrace me on the day that they will be resurrected,

the day when neither wealth nor children will avail,

except him who comes to Allah with a sound heart,’

and paradise will be brought near for the Godwary,

and hell will be brought into view for the perverse,

and they shall be told: ‘Where is that which you used to worship

besides Allah? Do they help you, or do they help each other?’

Then they will be cast into it on their faces—they and the perverse,

and the hosts of Iblis all together.

They will say, as they wrangle in it [together],

‘By Allah, we had indeed been in manifest error

when we equated you with the Lord of all the worlds!

No one led us astray except the guilty.

Now we have no intercessors,

nor do we have any sympathetic friend.

Had there been another turn for us, we would be among the faithful.’

There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

The people of Noah impugned the apostles

when Noah, their brother, said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]?

Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.

I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.’

They said, ‘Shall we believe in you, when it is the riffraff who follow you?’

He said, ‘What do I know as to what they used to do?

Their reckoning is only with my Lord, should you be aware.

I will not drive away the faithful.

I am just a manifest warner.’

They said, ‘Noah, if you do not desist, you will certainly be stoned [to death].’

He said, ‘My Lord! Indeed my people have impugned me.

So judge conclusively between me and them, and deliver me and the faithful who are with me.’

Thereupon We delivered him and those who were with him in the laden ark.

Then We drowned the rest.

There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

[The people of] ‘Ad impugned the apostles,

when Hud, their brother, said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]?

Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.

I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds.

Do you build futile a sign on every prominence?

You set up structures as if you will be immortal,

and when you seize [someone for punishment], you seize [him] like tyrants.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.

Be wary of Him who has provided you with whatever you know,

and aided you with sons and with cattle,

gardens and springs.

Indeed I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous day.’

They said, ‘It is the same to us whether you exhort us or not.

These are nothing but the traditions of the ancients,

and we will not be punished.’

So they impugned him, whereupon We destroyed them. There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

[The people of] Thamud impugned the apostles

when Salih, their brother, said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]?

Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.

I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds.

Will you be left secure in that which is here

—amid gardens and springs,

farms and date palms with dainty spathes

—while you skillfully hew out houses from the mountains?

So be wary of Allah and obey me,

and do not obey the dictates of the transgressors,

who cause corruption in the land and do not bring about reform.’

They said, ‘Indeed you are one of the bewitched.

You are just a human being like us. So bring us a sign, should you be truthful.’

He said, ‘This is a she-camel; she shall drink and you shall drink on known days.

Do not cause her any harm, for then you shall be seized by the punishment of a terrible day.’

But they hamstrung her, whereupon they became regretful.

So the punishment seized them. There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

The people of Lot impugned the apostles

when Lot, their brother, said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]?

Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.

I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds.

What! Of all people do you come to males,

abandoning your wives your Lord has created for you? Indeed, you are a transgressing lot.’

They said, ‘Lot, if you do not desist, you will surely be banished.’

He said, ‘Indeed I detest your conduct.’

‘My Lord! Deliver me and my family from what they do.’

So We delivered him and all his family,

except an old woman who remained behind.

Then We destroyed [all] the rest,

and rained down upon them a rain [of stones]. Evil was the rain of those who were warned!

There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

The inhabitants of Aykah impugned the apostles,

when Shu‘ayb said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]?

Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.

So be wary of Allah and obey me.

I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds.

Observe the full measure, and do not be of those who give short measure.

Weigh with an even balance,

and do not cheat the people of their goods. Do not act wickedly on the earth, causing corruption.

Be wary of Him who created you and the earlier generations.’

They said, ‘Indeed you are one of the bewitched.

You are just a human being like us, and we indeed consider you to be a liar.

Make a fragment of the sky falls upon us, should you be truthful.’

He said, ‘My Lord knows best what you are doing.’

So they impugned him, and then they were overtaken by the punishment of the day of the overshadowing cloud. It was indeed the punishment of a terrible day.

There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

This is indeed [a Book] sent down by the Lord of all the worlds,

brought down by the Trustworthy Spirit

upon your heart (so that you may be one of the warners),

in a clear Arabic language.

It is indeed [foretold] in the scriptures of the ancients.

Is it not a sign for them that the learned of the Children of Israel recognize it?

Had We sent it down upon some non-Arab

and had he recited it to them, they would not have believed in it.

This is how We let it pass through the hearts of the guilty:

they do not believe in it until they sight the painful punishment.

It will overtake them suddenly while they are unaware.

Thereupon they will say, ‘Shall we be granted any respite?’

So do they seek to hasten on Our punishment?

Tell me, should We let them enjoy for some years,

then there comes to them what they have been promised,

of what avail to them will be that which they were given to enjoy?

We have not destroyed any town without its having warners,

for the sake of admonition, and We were not unjust.

It has not been brought down by the devils.

Neither does it behoove them, nor are they capable [of doing that].

Indeed, they are kept at bay [even] from hearing it.

So do not invoke any god besides Allah, lest you should be among the punished.

Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk,

and lower your wing to the faithful who follow you.

But if they disobey you, say, ‘I am absolved of what you do.’

And put your trust in the All-mighty, the All-merciful,

who sees you when you stand [for prayer],

and your going about among those who prostrate.

Indeed He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

Should I inform you on whom the devils descend?

They descend on every sinful liar.

They eavesdrop, and most of them are liars.

As for the poets, [only] the perverse follow them.

Have you not regarded that they rove in every valley,

and that they say what they do not do?

Barring those who have faith, do righteous deeds, and remember Allah much often, and vindicate themselves after they have been wronged. And the wrongdoers will soon know at what goal they will end up.

Ta, Seen. These are the signs of the Quran and a manifest Book,

a guidance and good news for the faithful

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

As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds seem decorous to them, and so they are bewildered.

They are the ones for whom there is a terrible punishment, and they are the ones who will be the biggest losers in the Hereafter.

Indeed you receive the Quran from One who is all-wise, all-knowing.

When Moses said to his family, ‘Indeed I descry a fire! I will bring you some news from it, or bring you a firebrand so that you may warm yourselves.’

When he came to it, he was called: ‘Blessed is He who is in the fire and who is [as well] around it, and immaculate is Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!’

‘O Moses! Indeed I am Allah, the All-mighty, the All-wise.’

‘Throw down your staff!’ When he saw it wriggling, as if it were a snake, he turned his back [to flee], without looking back. ‘O Moses! ‘Do not be afraid. Indeed the apostles are not afraid before Me,

nor those who do wrong and then make up for [their] fault with goodness, for indeed I am all-forgiving, all-merciful.’

‘Insert your hand into your shirt. It will emerge white and bright, without any fault—among nine signs meant for Pharaoh and his people. Indeed they are a transgressing lot.’

But when Our signs came to them, as eye-openers, they said, ‘This is plain magic.’

They impugned them, wrongfully and out of arrogance, though they were convinced in their hearts [of their veracity]. So observe how the fate of the agents of corruption was!

Certainly, We gave knowledge to David and Solomon, and they said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who granted us an advantage over many of His faithful servants.’

Solomon inherited from David, and he said, ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given out of everything. Indeed this is a manifest advantage.’

[Once] Solomon’s hosts were marched out for him, comprising jinn, humans and birds, and they were held in check.

When they came to the Valley of Ants, an ant said, ‘O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts should trample on you while they are unaware.’

Whereat he smiled, amused at its words, and he said, ‘My Lord! Inspire me to give thanks for Your blessing with which You have blessed me and my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds which please You, and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants.’

[One day] he reviewed the birds, and said, ‘Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or is he absent?’

‘I will punish him with a severe punishment, or I will behead him, unless he brings me a credible excuse.’

He did not stay for long [before he turned up] and said, ‘I have alighted on something which you have not alighted on, and I have brought you from Sheba a definite report.

I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given everything, and she has a great throne.

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem decorous to them—thus he has barred them from the way [of Allah], so they are not guided—

so that they do not prostrate themselves to Allah, who brings forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.

Allah—there is no god except Him—is the Lord of the Great Throne.’

He said, ‘We shall see whether you are truthful, or if you are one of the liars.

Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then draw away from them and observe what [response] they return.’

She said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Indeed a noble letter has been delivered to me.

It is from Solomon, and it begins in the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.

[It states,] ‘‘Do not defy me, and come to me in submission.’’ ’

She said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Give me your opinion concerning my matter. I do not decide any matter until you are present.’

They said, ‘We are powerful and possess a great might. But it is up to you to command. So consider what orders you will give.’

She said, ‘Indeed when kings enter a town, they devastate it, and make the mightiest of its people the weakest. That is how they act.

I will send them a gift, and see what the envoys bring back.’

So when he came to Solomon, he said, ‘Are you aiding me with wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Indeed, you are proud of your gift!

Go back to them, for we will come at them with hosts which they cannot face, and we will expel them from it, abased and degraded.’

He said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’

An afreet from among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. I have the power to do it and am trustworthy.’

The one who had knowledge of the Book said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.’ So when he saw it set near him, he said, ‘This is by the grace of my Lord, to test me if I will give thanks or be ungrateful. Whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful [should know that] my Lord is indeed all-sufficient, all-generous.’

He said, ‘Disguise her throne for her, so that we may see whether she is discerning or if she is one of the undiscerning ones.’

So when she came, it was said [to her], ‘Is your throne like this one?’ She said, ‘It seems to be the same, and we were informed before it, and we had submitted.’

She had been barred [from the way of Allah] by what she used to worship besides Allah, for she belonged to a faithless people.

It was said to her, ‘Enter the palace.’ So when she saw it, she supposed it to be a pool of water, and she bared her shanks. He said, ‘It is a palace paved with crystal.’ She said, ‘My Lord! Indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’

Certainly We sent to Thamud Salih, their brother, [with the summons:] ‘Worship Allah!’ But thereat they became two groups contending with each other.

He said, ‘O My people! Why do you press for evil sooner than for good? Why do you not plead to Allah for forgiveness so that you may receive His mercy?’

They said, ‘We take you and those who are with you for a bad omen.’ He said, ‘Your bad omens are from Allah. Indeed, you are a people being tested.’

There were nine persons in the city who caused corruption in the land and did not set things right.

They said, ‘Swear by Allah that we will attack him and his family by night. Then we will tell his heir that we were not present at the murder of his family and that we speak the truth.’

They devised a plot, and We [too] devised a plan, but they were not aware.

So observe how was the outcome of their plotting, as We destroyed them and all their people.

So there lay their houses, fallen in ruin because of their wrongdoing. There is indeed a sign in that for a people who have knowledge.

And We delivered those who had faith and were Godwary.

[We also sent] Lot, when he said to his people, ‘What! Do you commit this indecency while you look on?

Do you approach men with [sexual] desire instead of women?! Indeed, you are a senseless lot!’