The Criterion

In order that We may revive a dead city with it, and give it to the many beasts and men that We have created, to drink.

Most Auspicious is He Who has sent down the Furqan (the Criterion – the Holy Qur’an) upon His chosen bondman for him to be a Herald of Warning to the entire world. (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – is the Prophet towards all mankind.)

The One to Whom belongs the kingship of the heavens and of the earth, and has not chosen a child, and has no partner in His kingship, and He has created everything and kept it in proper measure.

And people have appointed other Gods besides Him, those who do not create anything but are themselves created, and those who do not have the power to harm or benefit themselves, and who do not have any authority over death or life nor over resurrection.

And the disbelievers said, “This is nothing but a slur he has fabricated and others have helped him upon it”; so indeed the disbelievers have stooped to injustice and lie.

And they said, “These are stories of the former people, which he has written down, so they are read to him morning and evening.”

Proclaim (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “It is sent down by Him Who knows all the secrets of the heavens and the earth; indeed He Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful."

And they said, “What is the matter with this (Noble) Messenger, that he eats food and walks in the markets? Why was not an angel sent down along with him, to give warning along with him?”

“Or that he should have obtained a hidden treasure, or should have had a garden from which to eat”; and the unjust said, “You do not follow but a man under a magic spell.”

O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) see how they invent examples for you – they have therefore gone astray, unable find a road.

Most Auspicious is He Who, if He wills, may make it much better for you – Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and may create high palaces for you.

In fact they deny the Last Day; and We have kept prepared a blazing fire for those who deny the Last Day.

When it will see them from afar, they will hear its raging and roaring.

And when they are thrown into a narrow place in it, bound in chains, they will pray for death in it.

It will be said “Do not pray this day for one death – and pray for many deaths.”

Say, “Is this better or the Everlasting Gardens which are promised to those who fear? That is their reward and their outcome.”

“In it for them is all that they may desire, abiding in it for ever; a promise incumbent upon your Lord, that is prayed for.”

And on the day when He will assemble them and all what they worship instead of Allah – then will say to those deities, “Did you mislead my bondmen or did they themselves forget the path?”

They will submit, “Purity is to You – it was not rightful for us to appoint any Master besides You; but You gave them and their forefathers usage to the extent that they forgot Your Remembrance; and they were indeed the people who destroy themselves.”

“So the deities have belied what you state – so now you can neither avert the punishment nor help yourself; and whoever among you is unjust, We shall make him taste a terrible punishment.”

And all the Noble Messengers We sent before you were like this – eating food and walking in the markets; and We have made some of you a test for others; so will you, O people, patiently endure? And O dear Prophet, your Lord is All Seeing.

And those who do not expect to meet Us said, “Why were the angels not sent down to us or we been able to see our Lord?” Indeed they thought too highly of themselves and they turned extremely rebellious.

The day when they will see the angels – that day will not be of any happiness for the guilty – and they will cry, “O God, erect a barrier between us and them!”

And We turned all the deeds they had performed into scattered floating specks of dust.

And for the People of the Garden on that day is a better destination and account, and a better place of afternoon rest.

And the day when the sky will be split asunder with clouds and the angels will be sent down in full.

The true kingship on that day belongs to the Most Gracious; and that is hard for the disbelievers.

And the day when the unjust will gnaw his hands, saying, “Alas, if only I had chosen a way along with the (Noble) Messenger (of Allah)!”

“Woe to me – alas, if only I had not taken that one for a friend.”

“He indeed led me astray from the advice that had come to me”; and Satan deserts man, leaving him unaided.

And the Noble Messenger submitted, “O my Lord – indeed my people took this Qur’an as worthy of being abandoned.”

And this is how We had appointed guilty people as enemies to every Prophet; and Allah is Sufficient, to guide and to aid.

And the disbelievers say, “Why was the Qur’an not sent down to him all at once?” This is how We sent it in stages, in order to strengthen your heart with it and We read it slowly, in stages.

And they will never bring you an example, but We shall bring you a true narration and better than it.

Those who will be dragged on their faces towards hell – theirs is the worst destination and they are the most astray.

And indeed We gave Moosa the Book and appointed with him his brother Haroon as a deputy.

We therefore said, “Go, both of you, to the people who have denied Our signs”; then ruining the people, We destroyed them completely.

And the people of Nooh – when they denied the Noble Messengers, We drowned them and made them a sign for mankind; and We have kept prepared a painful punishment for the unjust.

And the tribes of A’ad and the Thamud, and the people of the Wells, and many a generation between them.

And We illustrated examples to each one of them; and ruining them, annihilated them all.

And indeed they have visited the township upon which had rained a harmful rain; so were they not seeing it? In fact, they never expected to be raised again.

And when they see you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) they take you but as a mockery, “Is this the one whom Allah sent as a (Noble) Messenger?”

“Possibly he would have misled us away from our Gods had we not been firm upon them”; soon they will know, when they see the punishment, who was astray from the path.

Did you see the one who chose his own desires as his God? So will you accept the responsibility of guarding him?

Or do you think that most of them hear or understand something? They are not but like the cattle – in fact more astray from the path than them!

O dear Prophet, did you not see your Lord, how He spread the shade? And if He willed, He could have made it still; then We made the sun a proof upon it.

We then gradually withdraw it towards Us.

And it is He Who made the night a veil for you, and the sleep a rest, and made the day for getting up.

And it is He Who sent the winds giving glad tidings before His mercy; and We sent down purifying water from the sky.

And indeed We kept cycles of water among them that they may remember; so most men did not accept, except to be ungrateful.

If We willed, We could have sent a Herald of Warning to every village.

So do not listen to the disbelievers and, with this Qur’an, fight a great war against them.

And it is He Who caused the two joint seas to flow- one is palatable, very sweet, and the other is salty, very bitter; and kept a veil between them and a preventing barrier.

And it is He Who created man from water, then appointed relatives and in-laws for him; and your Lord is All Able.

And they worship such, other than Allah, which neither benefit nor hurt them; and the disbeliever helps the devil instead of his Lord.

And We have not sent you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) except as a Herald of glad tidings and warnings.

Proclaim, “I do not ask any fee from you for this, except that whoever wills may take the way to his Lord.”

And trust the Living One Who will never die, and praising Him proclaim His Purity; and He is Sufficient upon the sins of His bondmen, All Aware.

The One Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, then befitting His Majesty, established Himself upon the Throne (of control); the Most Gracious – therefore ask the one who knows, concerning Him!

And when it is said to them, “Prostrate to the Most Gracious” – they say, “And what is the Most Gracious? Shall we prostrate to whatever you command us?” And this command only increases the hatred in them. (Command of Prostration # 7)

Most Auspicious is He Who created lofty towers in the sky and placed a lamp in it, and the luminous moon.

And it is He Who created the alternation of the night and day for one who wishes to remember or intends to give thanks.

And the bondmen of the Most Gracious who walk upon the earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them they answer, “Peace”. (Good –bye)

And who spend the night prostrating and standing, for their Lord.

And who submit, “Our Lord – avert the punishment of hell from us; indeed its punishment is a permanent neck-shackle.”

Indeed it is a most wretched abode.

And those who, when spending, neither exceed the limits nor act miserly, and stay in moderation between the two.

And those who do not worship any other deity along with Allah, and do not unjustly kill any living thing which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery; and whoever does this will receive punishment.

The punishment shall be increased for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will remain in it forever, with humiliation.

Except one who repents and accepts faith and does good deeds – so Allah will turn their evil deeds into virtues; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

And whoever repents and does good deeds – so he has inclined towards Allah with repentance as was required.

And those who do not give false testimony, and when they pass near some indecency, they pass by it saving their honour.

And those who, when they are reminded of the signs of their Lord, do not fall deaf and blind upon them.

And who submit, “Our Lord, soothe our eyes with our wives and our children, and make us leaders of the pious.”

They will be rewarded the highest position in heaven, the recompense of their patience, and they will be welcomed with honour and greetings of peace.

They shall abide in it forever; what an excellent abode and place of stay.

Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) “You have no value before My Lord if you do not worship Him; so you have denied – therefore the punishment that remains, will occur.”