💾 Archived View for scholasticdiversity.us.to › scriptures › islam › quran › en.asad › 29 captured on 2024-03-21 at 17:41:21. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[1] Alif. Lam. Mim.
[2] DO MEN THINK that on their [mere] saying, “We have attained to faith”, they will be left to themselves, and will not be put to a test?
[3] Yea, indeed, We did test those who lived before them; and so, [too, shall be tested the people now living: and] most certainly will God mark out those who prove themselves true, and most certainly will He mark out those who are lying.
[4] Or do they think - they who do evil deeds [while claiming to have attained to faith] - that they can escape Us? Bad, indeed, is their judgment!
[5] Whoever looks forward [with hope and awe] to meeting God [on Resurrection Day, let him be ready for it]: for, behold, the end set by God [for everyÂone’s life] is bound to come - and He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!
[6] Hence, whoever strives hard [in God’s cause] does so only for his own good: for, verily, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds!
[7] And as for those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds, We shall most certainly efface their [previous] bad deeds, and shall most certainly reward them in accordance with the best that they ever did.
[8] Now [among the best of righteous deeds which] We have enjoined upon man [is] goodness towards his parents; yet [even so,] should they endeavour to make thee ascribe divinity, side by side with Me, to something which thy mind cannot accept [as divine], obey then, not: [for] it is unto Me that you all must return, whereupon I shall make you [truly] understand [the right and wrong of] all that you were doing [in life].
[9] But as for those who have attained to faith and have done righteous deeds, We shall most certainly cause them to join the righteous [in the hereafter as well].
[10] Now there is among men many a one who says [of himself and of others like him], “We do believe in God” - but whenever he is made to suffer in God’s cause, he thinks that persecution at the hands of man is as [much to be feared, or even more than,] God’s chastisement; whereas, if succour from thy Sustainer comes [to those who truly believe] he is sure to say. “Behold, we have always been with you!” Is not God fully aware of what is in the hearts of all creatures?
[11] [Yea-] and most certainly will God mark out those who have [truly] attained to faith, and most certainly will He mark out the hypocrites.
[12] And [He is aware, too, that] they who are bent on denying the truth speak [thus, as it were,] to those who have attained to faith: “Follow our way [of life], and we shall indeed take your sins upon ourselves!” But never could they take upon themselves aught of the sins of those [whom they would thus mislead]: behold, they are liars indeed!
[13] Yet most certainly will they have to bear their own burdens, and other burdens besides their own; and most certainly will they be called to account on Resurrection Day for all their false assertions!
[14] And, indeed, [in times long past] We sent forth Noah unto his people, and he dwelt among them a thousand years bar fifty; and then the floods overÂwhelmed them while they were still lost in evildoing:
[15] but We saved him, together with all who were in the ark, which We then set up as a symbol [of Our grace] for all people [to remember].
[16] And Abraham, [too, was inspired by Us] when he said unto his people: “Worship God, and be conscious of Him: this is the best for you, if you but knew it!
[17] You worship only [lifeless] idols instead of God, and [thus] you give visible shape to a lie! Behold, those [things and beings] that you worship instead of God have it not in their power to provide sustenance for you: seek, then, all [your] sustenance from God, and worship Him [alone] and be grateful to Him: [for] unto Him you shall be brought back!
[18] “And if you give [me] the lie - well, [other] communities have given the lie [to Gods prophets] before your time: but no more is an apostle bound to do than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to him].”
[19] Are then they [who deny the truth] not aware of how God creates [life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew? This, verily, is easy for God!
[20] Say: “Go all over the earth and behold how [wondrously] He has created [man] in the first inÂstance: and thus, too, will God bring into being your second life for, verily, God has the power to will anything!
[21] He causes to suffer whomever He wills, and bestows His mercy on whomever He wills; and unto Him you shall be made to return:
[22] and never - not on earth and not in the skies - can you [hope to] elude Him: and you have none to protect you from God, and none to bring you succour.”
[23] And [thus it is:] they who are bent on denying the truth of God’s messages and of their [ultimate] meeting with Him - it is they who abandon all hope of My grace and mercy: and it is they whom grievous suffering awaits [in the life to come].
[24] Now [as for Abraham,] his people’s only answer was, “Slay him, or burn him!” – but God saved him from the fire. Behold, in this [story] there are messages indeed for people who will believe!
[25] And [Abraham] said: “You have chosen to worship idols instead of God for no other reason than to have a bond of love in the life of this world, between yourselves [and your forebears]: but then, on Resurrection Day, you shall disown one another and curse one another - for the goal of you all will be the fire, and you will have none to succour you.
[26] Thereupon [his brother’s son] Lot came to believe in him and said: “Verily, I [too] shall forsake the domain of evil [and turn] to my Sustainer: for, verily, He alone is almighty, truly wise!”
[27] And [as for Abraham,] We bestowed upon him Isaac and [Isaac’s son] Jacob, and caused proÂphethood and revelation to continue among his offspring. And We vouchsafed him his reward in this world; and, verily, in the life to come [too] he shall find himself among the righteous.
[28] And Lot, [too, was inspired by Us] when he said unto his people: “Verily, you commit abominations such as none in all the world has ever committed before you!
[29] Must you indeed approach men [with lust], and thus cut across the way [of nature]? and must you commit these shameful deeds in your open] assemblies?” But his people’s only answer was, “Bring down upon us God’s chastisement, if thou art a man of truth!”
[30] [And] he prayed: “O my Sustainer! Succour Thou me against these people who spread corrupÂtion!”
[31] And so, when Our [heavenly] messengers came to Abraham with the glad tiding [of the birth of Isaac], they [also] said, “Behold, we are about to destroy the people of that land, for its people are truly evildoers!”
[32] [And when Abraham] exclaimed, “But Lot lives there!” - they answered: We know fully well who is there; most certainly we shall save him and his household - all but his wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind.”
[33] And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was sorely grieved on their account, seeing that it was beyond his power to shield them; but they said: “Fear not, and grieve not! Behold, we shall save thee and thy household - all but thy wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind.
[34] Verily, we shall bring down upon the people of this land a horror from heaven in requital of all their iniquitous doings!”
[35] And [so it happened; and] thereof, indeed, We have left a clear sign for people who use their reason.
[36] AND UNTO [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu’ayb who thereupon said: “O my peoÂple! Worship God [alone], and look forward to the Last Day, and do not act wickedly on earth by spreading corruption!”
[37] But they gave him the lie. Thereupon an earthquake overtook them: and then they lay lifeless, in their very homes, on the ground.
[38] AND [the tribes of] Ad and Thamud [too, did We destroy -] as should have become obvious to you from [whatever there remains of] their dwellings. [They perished] because Satan had made their [sinful] doings seem goodly to them, and thus had barred them from the path [of God] despite their having been endowed with the ability to perceive the truth.
[39] And [thus, too, did We deal with] Qarun and Pharaoh, and Haman: to them had come Moses with all evidence of the truth, but they behaved arrogantly on earth [and rejected him]; and withal, they could not escape [Us].
[40] For, every one of them, did We take to task for his sin: and so, upon some of them We let loose a deadly storm wind; and some of them were overtaken by a [sudden] blast; and some of them We caused to be swallowed by the earth: and some of them We caused to drown. And it was not God who wronged them, but it was they who had wronged themselves.
[41] The parable of those who take [beings or forces] other than God for their protectors is that of the spider which makes for itself a house: for, behold, the frailest of all houses is the spiders house. Could they but understand this!
[42] Verily, God knows whatever it is that men invoke instead of Him for He alone is almighty, truly wise.
[43] And so We propound these parables unto man: but none can grasp their innermost meaning save those who [of Us] are aware
[44] [and hence are certain that] God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth: for, behold, in this [very creation] there is a message indeed for all who believe [in Him].
[45] CONVEY [unto others] whatever of this divine writ has been revealed unto thee, and be constant in prayer: for, behold, prayer restrains [man] from loathsome deeds and from all that runs counter to reason; and remembrance of God is indeed the greatest [good]. And God knows all that you do.
[46] And do not argue with the followers of earlier revelation otherwise than in a most kindly manner - unless it be such of them as are bent on evildoing and say: “We believe in that which has been beÂstowed from on high upon us, as well as that which has been bestowed upon you: or our God and your God is one and the same, and it is unto Him that We [all] surrender ourselves.”
[47] For it is thus that We have bestowed this divine writ from on high upon thee [O Muhammad]. And they to whom we have vouchsafed this divine writ believe in it just as among those [followers of earlier revelation] there are some who believe in it. And none could knowingly reject Our messages unless it be such as would deny [an obvious] truth:
[48] for, [O Muhammad,] thou hast never been able to recite any divine writ ere this one [was revealed], nor didst thou ever transcribe one with your own hand or else, they who try to disprove the truth [of thy revelation] might indeed have had cause to doubt [it].
[49] Nay, but this [divine writ] consists of messages clear to the hearts of all who are gifted with [innate] knowledge and none could knowingly reject Our messages unless it be such as would do wrong [to themselves].
[50] And yet they say, “Why have no miraculous signs ever been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer?” Say: “Miracles are in the power of God alone; and as for me - I am but a plain warner.”
[51] Why - is it not enough for them that We have bestowed this divine writ on thee from on high, to be conveyed [by thee] to them? For, verily, in it is [manifested Our] grace, and a reminder to people who will believe.
[52] Say [unto those who will not believe]: “God is witness enough between me and you! He knows all that is in the heavens and on earth; and they who are bent on believing in what is false and vain, and thus on denying God - it is they, they who shall be the losers!”
[53] Now they challenge thee to hasten the coming upon them of [God’s] chastisement: and indeed, had not a term been set [for it by God], that suffering would already have come upon them! But indeed, it will most certainly come upon them of a sudden, and they will be taken unawares.
[54] They challenge thee to hasten the coming upon them of [God’s] chastisement: but, verily, hell is bound to encompass all who deny the truth –
[55] [encompass them] on the Day when suffering will overwhelm them from above them and from beneath their feet, whereupon He shall say: “Taste [now the fruit of] your own doings!”
[56] O YOU servants of Mine who have attained to faith! Behold, wide is Mine earth: worship Me, then, Me alone!
[57] Every human being is bound to taste death, [and] in the end unto Us shall all be brought back:
[58] whereupon unto those who have attained to faith and wrought good works We shall most certainly assign mansions in that paradise through which runÂning waters flow, therein to abide: how excellent a reward for those who labour –
[59] those who are patient in adversity and in their Sustainer place their trust!
[60] And how many a living creature is there that takes no thought of its own sustenance; [the while] God provides for it as [He provides] for you - since He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing.
[61] And thus it is [with most people]: if thou ask them, “Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth, and made the sun and the moon subserviÂent [to His laws]?” - they will surely answer, “God.” How perverted, then, are their minds!
[62] God grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, to whichever He wills of His creaÂtures: for, behold, God has full knowledge of everyÂthing.
[63] And thus it is: if thou ask them, “Who is it that sends down water from the skies, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless?” - they will surely answer, “God.” Say thou: “[Since this is so,] all praise is due to God [alone]!” But most of them will not use their reason:
[64] for, [if they did, they would know that] the life of this world is nothing but a passing delight and a play - whereas, behold, the life in the hereafter is indeed the only [true] life: if they but knew this!
[65] And so, when they embark on a ship [and find themselves in danger], they call unto God, [at that moment] sincere in their faith in Him alone; but as soon as He has brought them safe ashore, they [begin to] ascribe to imaginary powers a share in His divinity:
[66] and thus they show utter ingratitude for all that We have vouchsafed them, and go on [thoughtlessly] enjoying their worldly life.
[67] Are they, then, not aware that We have set up a sanctuary secure [for those who believe in Us], the while all around them men are being carried away [by fear and despair]? Will they, then, [continue to] believe in things false and vain, and thus deny God’s blessings.
[68] And who could be more wicked than he who attributes his own lying inventions to God, or gives the lie to the truth when it comes unto him [through revelation]? Is not hell the [proper] abode for all who [thus] deny the truth?
[69] But as for those who strive hard in Our cause -We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us: for, behold, God is indeed with the doers of good.