The Prophets

NEAR HAS COME the reckoning for men, but they turn away in remissness.

Never does a new reminder come to them from their Lord but they listen to it with dalliance.

Their minds are lost in frivolous pastimes; and the evil-doers discuss secretly: "Is he not but only a man like you? Then why are you taken in by magic seeingly?"

He said: "My Lord knows whatever is spoken in the heavens and the earth. He hears all and knows everything."

Yet they say: "These are only confused dreams," or rather: "He has invented them;" or: "He is only a poet. Let him therefore bring a miracle to us as the earlier (apostles) were sent with."

Not one habitation that We destroyed before them had believed. So how can they believe?

Never did We send a message before you but through a man, whom We inspired. If you do not know, then ask the keepers of the oracles of God.

We did not make their bodies immune to hunger, nor were they immortal.

Then We made Our promise good to them and delivered whomsoever We pleased, and destroyed the transgressors.

We have sent down to you a Book which has a reminder for you. Do you not understand?

How many habitations that were sinful have We demolished utterly, and raised other people after them.

Whensoever they sensed Our punishment they fled from them.

"Do not flee; go back to your halls of pleasure and your habitations, so that you may be interrogated."

"Woe, alas," they said, "we were really sinful."

And this remained their lament till We mowed them down and made them extinct.

We have not created the heavens and the earth, and all that lies between them, out of fun.

If We had pleased to make a plaything We could have made it Ourself, if We had cared to do so.

In fact We strike the truth against the false, which shatters it, and it disappears. Woe to you for what you attribute (to Him)!

Whosoever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; and those who are near Him do not disdain to worship Him or weary (of His service),

Nor cease to endeavour praising Him night and day.

Or have they taken gods from the earth who can raise the dead?

Had there been gods apart from God, both (the heavens and the earth) would have been despoiled. Much too glorious is God, the Lord of the mighty throne, for things they assert!

He cannot be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.

Have they taken gods besides God? Say: "Then bring your proof. Here is the Book of those who are with me, and the Book of those who have gone before me." But most men do not know the truth and turn away.

We have not sent an apostle before you without instructing him that there is no god but I, so worship Me.

And yet they say: "Ar-Rahman has begotten a son." Too exalted is He! In fact, those (they call His sons) were His honoured votaries.

They did not precede Him in their speech, and acted on His command.

He knows what was there before them and what came after them; and they did not intercede for any one but whom He willed, and they were filled with awe of Him.

If any one of them said: "I am God besides Him," We should award him Hell; for this is how We requite the evil-doers.

Do not these unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were an integrated mass, then We split them and made every living thing from water? Will they not believe even then?

We placed stabilisers in the earth so that as it revolved with them you lived undisturbed; and We provided passageways between them so that men may find their way;

And We made the sky a well-protected roof. Still they turn away from His signs!

It is He who created night and day, the sun and the moon, revolving on its orbit.

We have given no man everlastingness before you. So then if you die, will they live ever after?

Every soul will know the taste of death. We tempt you with evil and with good as a trial; and to Us you will return.

But when the unbelievers see you they make fun of you (and say): "Is this the one who mentions your gods (deridingly)?" Yet in Ar-Rahman they disbelieve!

Man is made of inordinate haste. We will show you Our signs, then you will not desire to hasten (the punishment).

Yet they say: "When will the promised threat come to pass, if you speak the truth?"

If only the unbelievers could apprehend the moment when they would neither be able to ward off the fire from their faces and their backs, nor help reach them!

It will come upon them unawares confounding them, and they will not be able to keep it back, nor will they be given respite.

Many apostles have been scoffed before you; but they who scoffed were themselves caught by what they had ridiculed.

Say: "Who guards you from Ar-Rahman by night and by day?" Yet from a mention of their Lord they turn away.

Or do they have lords of their own besides Us who can defend them? But they are not able to help themselves, nor can they find protection against Us.

We allowed them and their fathers time to enjoy till the very end of their lives. Do they not see Us advancing into the land, reducing its frontiers? Would they still prevail?

Say: "I am warning you by God's command." But the deaf do not hear the call when they are warned.

Even if a whiff of the Lord's chastisement were to touch them they would surely say: "Ah woe, alas, we were surely sinful."

We shall fix the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, so that none will be wronged in the least; and even if it were equal to a mustard seed in weight We shall take it (into account). We are sufficient for computation.

We gave Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and a light and reminder for those who take heed for themselves,

Who are fearful of their Lord inwardly and dread the Hour.

And this is a blessed reminder that We have sent down. Will you then deny it?

We had earlier given Abraham true direction, for We knew him well.

When he said to his father and his people: "What are these idols to which you cling so passionately?"

They replied: "We found our fathers worshipping them."

He said: "You and your fathers were in clear error."

They said: "Are you speaking in earnest, or only jesting?"

He said: "In fact it was your Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, who created them; and I bear witness to this.

I swear by God I will do something to your idols when you have turned your backs and gone."

So he smashed them up to pieces with the exception of the biggest, so that they may turn to it.

They asked (on return): "Who has done this to our gods? He is surely a mischief-monger."

They said: "We heard a youth talk about them. He is called Abraham."

"Bring him before the people," they said, "that they may bear witness."

"Did you do this to our gods, O Abraham?" they enquired.

"No," he said. "It was done by that chief of theirs. Ask him in case they can speak."

Then they thought and observed: "Surely you are yourselves unjust."

Then crestfallen (they confessed): "Truly, as you know, they cannot speak."

(So Abraham) said: "Then why do you worship something apart from God that cannot profit you or do you harm?

Fie on you and those you worship besides God! Will you not understand?"

They said: "Burn him, and save your gods, if you are men of action."

"Turn cold, O fire," We said, "and give safety to Abraham."

They wished to entrap him, but We made them greater losers.

So We delivered him and Lot, and brought them to the land We had blessed for all the people.

And We bestowed on him Isaac, and Jacob as an additional gift, and made them righteous.

And We made them leaders to guide (the people) by Our command; and We inspired them to perform good deeds and observe their moral obligations and pay the zakat; and they obeyed Us.

To Lot We gave wisdom and knowledge, and saved him from a people who acted villainously and were certainly wicked and disobedient.

Thus We admitted him to Our grace. He is surely one of the righteous.

Remember Noah when he called to Us before this. We heard him and saved him and those with him from great distress;

And We helped him against the people who rejected Our signs as lies. They were a wicked people indeed, so We drowned them one and all.

(Remember) David and Solomon, when they pronounced judgement about the field which was eaten up at night by sheep belonging to certain people. We were witness to their judgement.

We made Solomon understand the case, and bestowed on each wisdom and knowledge, We subdued the al-jibal (mountains) with David to sing Our praises, and at-tair (birds). It is We who did it.

And We taught him the art of making coats of mail to shield you from each other's violence. Will you not be grateful even then?

We made tempestuous winds obedient to Solomon which blew swiftly to sail at his bidding (with his ships) to the land We had blessed. We are cognisant of everything.

And many of the devils (We also made obedient to him) who dived for him, and did many other things; and We kept watch over them.

(Remember) Job when he called to his Lord: "I am afflicted with distress, and You are the most compassionate of all."

So We heard his cry and relieved him of the misery he was in. We restored his family to him, and along with them gave him others similar to them as a grace from Us and reminder for those who are obedient.

(Remember) Ishmael, Edris and Dhu'l-Kifl. They were men of fortitude,

And they were admitted to Our grace. Verily they were among the doers of good.

And (remember) Dhu'n-Noon (Jonah of the fish), when he went away in anger and imagined We will not test him (with distress). Then he called out from the darkness: "There is no god other than You. All glory to You; surely I was a sinner.

We heard his cry, and saved him from the anguish. That is how We deliver those who believe.

(Remember) Zachariah when he called to his Lord: "Do not leave me alone (and childless), for you are the best of givers."

So We heard him and gave him John, and cured his wife (of barrenness). These were men who vied in good deeds with one another, and prayed to Us with love and awe, and were meek before Us.

(Remember) her who preserved her chastity, into whom We breathed a new life from Us, and made her and her son a token for mankind.

Verily this your order is one order, and I am your Lord; so worship Me.

But they split up the order among themselves; (yet) all of them have to come back to Me.

So he who does the right and is a believer, will not have his labour denied, for We are congnisant of it.

It is imperative that a habitation We have destroyed will not desist (from unbelief)

Until when the way is opened up for Gog and Magog and they press from every elevated place,

And the certain promise (of Doom) comes near. Then the eyes of unbelievers will be fixed in horror, (and they will cry:) "Ah, woe betide, we were indeed heedless of this, and were oppressors and unjust."

Verily you and those you worship other than God will be faggots for Hell; and come to it you will.

Had they really been gods they would not have entered it: They will all abide in it for ever.

There will only be groaning for them, and they will not hear any thing.

But those for whom a good reward had been fore-ordained by Us, will be far removed from it,

And will not hear its hissing, and will live for ever in the midst of what their hearts desire.

They will have safety from the mighty terror, and angels will receive them, (saying:) "This is your day which had been promised you."

The day We shall roll up the heavens like a written scroll, We shall revert it (to nothing) as it was before We first created it. This is a promise incumbent on Us; We will certainly fulfil it.

We had prescribed in the Book of Psalms after the reminder and admonition, that those of Our creatures who are good will in the end rule the earth.

Verily there is a message in this for people who are devout.

We have sent you as a benevolence to the creatures of the world.

Say: "This is what has been revealed to me: 'Your God is one and only God.' So will you bow in homage to Him?"

If they turn away, tell them: "I have warned you all alike. I do not know if what has been promised you is near or far away.

He knows surely what you say aloud, and what you hide within your breasts.

I do not know if this be a trial for you, or a little advantage for a while."

"Judge in truth (between us), O Lord," he said. "Our Lord is merciful, whose help we seek against what you attribute."