The Criterion

To quicken a region that was dead, and to give it as drink to animals We have created and to men in plenty.

BLESSED IS HE who revealed the Criterion (of right and wrong) to His votary that it may be a warning for the world, --

He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, who has neither begotten a son nor has He a partner in His kingdom, (who) created everything and determined its exact measure.

Yet they choose apart from Him gods who have not created any thing and have themselves been created, who possess no power over their loss or gain, or their death or life or being raised to life again.

Yet the unbelievers say: "This is nothing but a lie he has concocted in which others have aided him." They have come down to mischief and lies.

And they say: "These are fables of antiquity he has invented, which are dictated to him morning and evening."

Say: "He who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth has revealed it to me; and He is surely forgiving and kind."

But they say: "What sort of prophet is this who eats food and walks the market places? Why was no angel sent to him to act as admonisher with him?

Or a treasure should have been given to him, or he should have had an orchard from which he could eat." And these wicked people say: "You only follow a man ensorcelled."

Just see what comparisons they bring up for you! They are lost and cannot find the way.

Blessed be He who, if He pleased, could give you better than that, -- gardens with rivers flowing by; and make palaces for you.

Yet they reject the Hour as untrue. We have prepared a Fire for those who deny the Resurrection.

When (Hell) appears to them from a distance they will hear it raging and roaring.

And when they are cast within a narrow space of it chained together, they would plead for death.

"Do not ask for one death but many deaths on this day."

Ask them: "Is this better or a garden for everlasting abode which has been promised the pious and devout? It would be their guerdon and their destination.

There will they have whatever they wish, and there abide for ever." This is a promise incumbent on your Lord which will certainly be fulfilled.

The day He will gather them together along with those they worshipped other than God, He will ask them: "Did you lure these creatures of Mine away, or did they themselves go astray?"

They will answer: "Glory to You. It was not worthy of us to seek any protector other than You. But You allowed them and their fathers a life of ease until they turned oblivious of the Reminder. They were a people impenitent.

(The idolaters will be told): "Your gods have refuted your assertion. You can neither avert (your doom) nor receive any help. We shall make the wicked among you taste of severe punishment."

We never sent before you apostles who did not eat food and walk the market places. We make some of you the means of trying the others. So will you persevere? Your Lord is always watching.

Those who do not hope to meet Us say: "Why are no angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?" They are full of self-conceit and behave with intense arrogance.

The day they see the angels there will be no happy tidings for the sinners; and they will say: "There is an insurmountable barrier!"

We shall turn to their deeds and scatter them like particles of dust.

The inmates of Paradise will have a better abode that day, and a better resting place.

The day the heavens splits asunder with a dazzling white cloud gathering and the angels descend in a continuous stream,

The real sovereignty will belong to Ar-Rahman. How grievous will be the day for the infidels!

The sinner will then bite his hand and say: "Would that I had taken the road with the Prophet.

Woe alas, ah would I had not taken so-and-so as friend!

He led me astray from the Warning after it had come to me. Satan always betrays man.

The prophet will say: "O my Lord, my people had fettered the Qur'an."

Thus do We keep opponents among the sinners for every apostle; yet your Lord is sufficient as a guide and helper.

The unbelievers say: "Why was the whole Qur'an not sent down all at once to him?" It was sent thus that We may keep your heart resolute. So We enunciated it by steps and distinctly.

There is not an example they advance to which We do not give you a right answer and a better explanation.

Those who will be pushed faces forward into Hell will be in a worse position, farther away from the path.

We gave Moses the Book, and made his brother Aaron his minister,

Then We told them: "Go to the people who have rejected Our signs." Then We annihilated them completely.

We had drowned the people of Noah when they had accused the apostles of lies, and turned them into an example for men. We have prepared a painful punishment for the wicked.

(As for) 'Ad, Thamud and the people of ar-Rass, and many generations in between them,

We administered warnings to each of them, and then destroyed them completely.

They must have surely passed by the town on which We had rained the terrible rain of ruin. How could they not have seen it? Still they do not dread the Resurrection.

When they see you they take you only in jest: "Is this the one whom God has sent as messenger?

He would have surely turned us away from our gods if we had not adhered to them." They will know soon who is farther away from the path when they see the punishment!

Have you considered him who takes his own lust for his god? Can you stand a surety for him?

Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are no better than cattle; in fact they are farther astray from the path.

Have you not seen how your Lord lengthens out the shadow? He could have kept it motionless if He liked. Yet We make the sun its pilot to show the way.

Then We draw it back to Us, withdrawing it little by little.

It is He who made the night a covering for you; and made sleep for rest, the day for rising.

It is He who sends the winds with auspicious news in advance of His benevolence; and We send pure water down from the sky

And We distribute it among them in various ways that they may ponder and reflect; yet most men disdain everything but denial and thanklessness.

Had We pleased We could have raised a warner in every town.

So do not listen to unbelievers, and strive against them with greater effort.

It is He who made two bodies of water flow side by side, one fresh (and) sweet, the other brine (and) bitter, and has placed an interstice, a barrier between them.

It is He who created man from water, then gave him consanguinity and affinity. Your Lord is omnipotent.

And yet they worship besides God what cannot bring them gain or do them harm. The unbeliever has always been an auxiliary against his Lord.

Yet We have not sent you but to give good tidings and to warn.

Tell them: "I do not ask any recompense of you for this other than (urging) whoever likes may take the way to his Lord."

Have trust in God the Living, who will never die, and sing His hallelujas; for He is well aware of the sins of His creatures.

He created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them in six spans then assumed His authority. He is the benevolent: Ask those who are well-informed.

When you say to them: "Bow before Ar-Rahman," they say: "What is Ar-Rahman? Should we adore whoever you ask us to?" And their aversion increases further.

Blessed is He who placed in the heavens constellations of stars, and placed a burning lamp in it and the luminous moon.

It is He who made the night and day an alternation for him who cares to reflect and be grateful.

Devotees of Ar-Rahman are those who walk with humility on the earth, and when they are addressed by the ignorant, say: 'Peace;"

And those who spend their nights bowed and standing before their Lord;

Who say: "O our Lord, avert from us the torment of Hell: Its punishment is surely continuous.

It is indeed an evil halt and an evil abode;"

Who are neither prodigal nor miserly in their spending but follow a middle path;

Who do not invoke any god apart from God, who do not take a life which God has forbidden except for a cause that is just, and do not fornicate -- and any one who does so will be punished for the crime,

Whose punishment will be doubled on the Day of Judgement, and he will live for ever in disgrace,

Except those who repent and come to believe and do the right, for whom God will turn evil into goodness, for God is forgiving and kind.

Whosoever repents and does the right, will have turned back to God by way of repentance;

And those who do not give false evidence, and if they come across unbecoming talk ignore it and pass by in a sedate way;

Who, when reminded of their Lord's revelations, do not fall for them like the deaf and blind;

And those who say: "O Lord, give us comfort in our spouses and children, and make us paragons of those who follow the straight path."

They will be rewarded for their perseverance with lofty mansions in empyrean where they will be received with greetings of peace and salutations,

And abide there for ever: What an excellent destination and abode!

Say: "My Lord is not concerned on your account if you do not pray to Him. You have surely done with denying; soon will come the inevitable judgement.